Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC Understands How Images Help a Back Pain Patient

“Seeing is believing.” That’s a popular saying. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC knows that La Grande back pain patients often would like to see the source of their pain. (They believe they have pain by now!) Currently, imaging doesn’t always satisfy a patient’s desire to see the source if it is because 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 La Grande back pain patients can believe that their La Grande chiropractor will thoroughly tell them the cause of their pain…and set a treatment plan to alleviate that pain.

THE GOOD OF IMAGING

Imaging recommendations today are all about reducing imaging exposure and cost. The concern of radiation exposure is being dealt with by carefully examining low back pain patients for more specific findings, decreasing radiation dose and doing more MRI than CT. These changes in turn reduce the cost of imaging. (1) Recommendations today are to hold off on imaging for 6-8 weeks of conservative treatment. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC has followed the Cox Technic System of Spinal Pain Management which suggests holding off on imaging (in the absence of "red flags" which a thorough clinical examination finds) for 30 days during which time 50% improvement is sought. If a month goes by without such improvement, imaging is ordered. These are positive situations for La Grande back pain patients and their healthcare providers like your La Grande chiropractor typically.

BACK PAIN SUFFERERS WANT TO “SEE”

Other times (and Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC 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 extra layer of curiosity as it is “non-specific” and doesn’t always have an obvious reason for the pain. The public and patients believe imaging helps diagnose the back pain condition. They are not alone as some healthcare professionals do, too. (2) That’s 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 problems. 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. Particularly, a set of researchers looked at the possibility of how imaging helped see the relationship between lumbopelvic alignment and cervical alignment and subsequent cervical spine myelopathy severity. (3) Imaging has its positives. Your La Grande back pain specialist at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC wants to be sure imaging is appropriate to the treatment plan for our back pain patients’ final recovery and pain relief. We know that “seeing is believing” and respect what imaging brings to the treatment plan when needed.

CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC

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 La Grande chiropractic appointment at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC to understand your back pain and its relieving treatment plan whether you can see its source or not because you definitely already believe you have pain. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC believes in its relief. You can, too.