Back Pain Imaging and Exercise
Spinal imaging shows us much about a Minster back pain and leg pain sufferers’ condition. Imaging must be carefully considered, of course, for what it shows in addition to the way various imaging methods compare to others. Minster Chiropractic Center welcomes all the input you can bring with you, the Minster back pain patient, as well as your imaging and exam findings to personalize your Minster chiropractic treatment plan for pain relief.
DISC HERNIATION AND Minster BACK PAIN
Disc herniation and leg and/or back pain tend to go together, too, but so much more may be incorporated: disc degeneration, annulus fibrosus rupture, irritation and compression of nerve roots and cauda equina from the herniation itself. A newer study traced the effects of exercise on a disc herniation’s neuromechanical compression, its inflammatory chemical stimulation, and its autoimmune response. (1) Imaging visualizes nice pictures of the disc herniation…that Minster Chiropractic Center associates with your symptoms!
BACK PAIN AND IMAGING
Back pain and imaging tend to go together. When someone experiences back pain, xrays, CTs, and MRIs come to mind. Just what do these display? A study compared images of symptomatic patients to asymptomatic persons. MR imaging of those with back pain showed that various measurements differed: anteroposterior diameter dimensions of the vertebral canal varied, transverse diameter was lesser, and thecal sac area was less. (2) Caution is warranted in comparing neuroforaminal measurements from CT scans and plain film as a study found that in patients who didn’t have back pain plain film measurements were bigger compared to those on CT. (3) Another imaging finding your Minster chiropractor is very aware of is termed Modic change. It’s another imaging finding that is very revealing in that Modic change (mainly type II) is associated with abdominal aortic calcification by way of a lower blood supply or even poorer systemic vascularization because of atherosclerotic disease. (4) It’s another insight we can utilize to determine what is going on in your spine. Finally, a spinal imaging finding that is quite common in back pain patients is fatty infiltration of the paraspinal muscles, more so in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. (5) We look for that on MRI images though it’s hard to miss! Another good reason to start a good spinal exercise program!
EXERCISE & SPINE PAIN RELIEF
Exercise may be quite effective in managing the lumbar disc herniation which is why Minster Chiropractic Center includes some simple lumbar spine exercises to start on day one. We inspire our back pain patients to continue performing these simple exercises and are happy to back anyone who wants to do more...after we talk!
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Lee Hazen on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates a case of degenerative spondylolisthesis that responded well to treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Schedule your Minster chiropractic appointment soon to visit us! Whether you have spinal imaging currently or need it, your Minster chiropractor can help make sense of its relevance to your journey to back pain relief.
