Chiropractic Reduces Disc Herniation Related Pain Often Without MRI
MRIs are fascinating. They display some amazing images of the body. Chiropractors appreciate spinal MRI images. Why? The spine is your La Grande chiropractor’s realm! Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC appreciates the MRI image study for what it is: a tool. But MRIs are not always clinically necessary. Can MRI help determine whether to use non-surgical care or surgical care for back pain relief? Read on for the latest news.
The Usefulness of MRI
When a La Grande patient’s back pain, neck pain, arm pain or leg pain symptoms signal the demand for an MRI, Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC requests one for such a La Grande back pain patient. MRI may enhance your La Grande chiropractor’s clinical understanding of the condition oftentimes (but not always!). Pre-treatment and post-MRI studies are interesting. Did the disc herniation reduce now that the pain disappeared? La Grande chiropractic patients will often ask that of Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC. And researchers will study MRIs for their research studies on just such a query.
The Curiosity of MRI
Researchers aren’t the only ones who curiously look at 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. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC knows our La Grande back pain patients wonder!
Knowing that doctors and patients dealing with back pain like MRIs, a group of researchers planned to determine the value of MRI in predicting treatment outcomes in patients who had a herniated lumbar disc with sciatica. They speculated whether MRI could help determine whether to do back surgery now or stay the course with conservative care. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC and the La Grande 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 type of care. Another interesting finding: the size of the disc herniation at the beginning of caredid not affect the outcome. There was no significant difference in outcomes between them – surgical and conservative. (1) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC reads 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 wasn’t much variation in those landmark studies either: 50% versus 53% non-surgical versus surgical for back pain due to spinal stenosis (2) and 69% versus 61% surgical vs. non-surgical for sciatica (3).
Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC Offers Chiropractic Non-Surgical Care of Disc Herniation
Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC invites you to make a La Grande chiropractic appointment today. Trust Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC to provide evidence-based chiropractic care that alleviates your spine pain many times without an MRI. Together, we can create a non-surgical (and even potentially non-MRI!) treatment plan to lessen your back pain.
Schedule your La Grande chiropractic appointment today.
