Dr. Butwell Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” Ever heard that saying before? Dr. Butwell bets you have. Dr. Butwell understands that Georgetown back pain patients many times would like to see the source of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Currently, imaging doesn’t always fulfill a patient’s desire to see the cause if it’s the result of an issue like chemical irritation when disc material is on a nerve root, so imaging can only go so far in satisfying a patient’s desire to see what’s going on. But Georgetown back pain patients can believe that their Georgetown chiropractor will thoroughly explain to them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to ease that pain.

THE GOOD OF IMAGING

Imaging recommendations today are all about decreasing imaging exposure and cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by careful examination of low back pain patients for more specific findings, decreasing radiation dose and performing more MRI than CT. These changes in turn decrease the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to no do imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Dr. Butwell has followed the Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which recommends holding off on imaging (in the absence of "red flags" which a thorough clinical examination finds) for a month during which time 50% improvement is sought. If 30 days pass without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are positive situations for Georgetown back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your Georgetown chiropractor most of the time.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Dr. Butwell totally understands this!) patients want to “see” their diagnosis. Words and descriptions and drawings are one thing, but imaging is much more personal. When it comes to non-specific back pain, there is an additional layer of curiosity as it’s “non-specific” and doesn’t always have an obvious cause for the pain. The public and patients believe imaging helps determine the back pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2) That is likely why patients and their healthcare providers want MRI and xrays.

MEDICINE AND SPINAL IMAGING

Interestingly, for years, medicine downplayed the concept of imaging for spine issues. Today, medicine is more and more interested in it. For cervical spine myelopathy, for example, treating physicians rely on imaging to determine the severity of it. Specifically, a set of researchers looked at the possibility of how imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and resulting cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its good points. Your Georgetown back pain specialist at Dr. Butwell wants to be sure imaging is positively contributory to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ final recovery and pain relief. We realize that “seeing is believing” and respect what imaging brings to the treatment plan when needed.

CONTACT Dr. Butwell

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Dan Clark on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes how valuable imaging can be for a patient’s treatment plan and final outcome of care.

Schedule your Georgetown chiropractic appointment at Dr. Butwell to understand your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or not because you certainly already believe you have pain. Dr. Butwell believes in its relief. You can, too.