Chiropractic Relieves Disc Herniation Related Pain Often Without MRI

MRIs are cool. MRIs display impressive pictures of the body. Chiropractors appreciate spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is where chiropractors like your West Des Moines chiropractor live day in and day out. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa values the MRI image study for what it is: a a piece of the diagnostic puzzle. But MRIs are not always a clinical necessity. Can MRI help determine whether to use non-surgical care or surgical care for back pain relief? Read on for the latest findings.

The Usefulness of MRI

When a West Des Moines patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain symptoms denote the demand for an MRI, Executive Chiropractic of Iowa orders one for such a West Des Moines back pain patient. MRI may supplement your West Des Moines chiropractor’s clinical knowledge of the condition oftentimes (but not always!).  Pre-treatment and post-MRI images are intriguing. Did the disc herniation shrink now that the pain is gone? West Des Moines chiropractic patients will often ask that of Executive Chiropractic of Iowa. And researchers will consider MRIs for their research studies on just such a question.

The Curiosity of MRI

Researchers are not the only ones who curiously study MRI images of low back pain sufferers to see if there is any connection between pain and no pain and the MRI at the beginning and end of treatment for back pain. Patients wonder, too. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa knows our West Des Moines back pain patients wonder!

Knowing that doctors and patients find MRI images a curiosity when there is back pain and leg pain, some researchers set out to determine the value of MRI in predicting treatment outcomes in patients with sciatic leg pain due to a herniated lumbar disc. They speculated whether MRI could help determine whether to do back surgery now or stay the course with conservative care. Executive Chiropractic of Iowa and the West Des Moines chiropractic low back pain patients we care for would love such a simple guide! Study participants were randomly sent to surgical care or a course of prolonged conservative care. Two findings – a disc extrusion and nerve root compression on MRI in patients with less severe leg pain – suggested a satisfactory outcome with either form of care. Another interesting finding:  the size of the disc herniation at the beginning of caredid not affect the outcome. The two groups revealed significant difference in outcomes between them – surgical and conservative. (1) Executive Chiropractic of Iowa sees similar reports more and more in the back pain research.  Recall the Atlas studies of surgical and non-surgical interventions for back pain and sciatica? There was not much difference in those landmark studies either: 50% vs. 53% non-surgical vs. surgical for back pain due to spinal stenosis (2) and 69% vs. 61% surgical vs. non-surgical for sciatica (3).

Executive Chiropractic of Iowa Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation

Executive Chiropractic of Iowa asks you to make a West Des Moines chiropractic appointment today. Trust Executive Chiropractic of Iowa to provide evidence-based chiropractic care that relieves your spine pain many times without an MRI. Together, we can set a non-surgical (and even potentially non-MRI!) treatment plan to lessen your back pain.

Schedule your West Des Moines chiropractic appointment today.