Tonawanda Cervical Spine Pain: MRI-Seen Changes, & Plan for Care

Studying the cervical spine of neck pain sufferers with MRI imaging can be interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive for treatment planning. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation always views imaging through the lens of the clinical symptomatology and spinal exam. Tonawanda neck pain with imaging-revealed changes in the cervical spine will get a treatment plan based on both imaging (if/when available) and clinical exam findings.

MRI is an amazing technology. It is used commonly to evaluate intervertebral disc degeneration. When spine pain persists even with care for an extended period of time, having imaging done is logical and follows today’s guidelines for back pain management. The imaging findings must be linked with the clinical symptomatology found in the clinical exam to guide the care for optimal relief. Modic Changes – vertebral bone endplate and bone marrow changes - are typically noted when radiologists read the MRI and classify the level of disc degeneration: level 1 being the least degenerated and level 3 being the most degenerated. In the lumbar spine, more studies have been done to correlate back pain symptoms with imaging findings. In the cervical spine, the studies are fewer. A review of 14 research studies regarding the connection between neck pain and/or cervical spine disc degeneration to MRI-revealed Modic changes reported that cervical spine Modic changes were present in 5% to 40% of the images. Patients whose MRIs showed Modic changes expressed more neck pain and disability. Their imaging also demonstrated more cervical disc degeneration. (1) Of late, an MRI study of cervical spines of neck pain and shoulder stiffness patients stated that no classification system of cervical disc degeneration showed any relationship to clinical symptoms. However, the researchers did mention that vertebral endplate changes may be linked to clinical symptom presentations. (2) Disc degeneration and vertebral changes causing pain can be addressed with chiropractic care.

TREATMENT PLANNING 

When it comes to chiropractic treatment of patients with MRI imaging showing Modic changes, researchers and clinicians have been challenged to correlate effective non-surgical treatment options. Review of studies previously published about the care of Modic change associated back pain, in this review it was low back pain, found that spinal manipulation was advocated as an option. The review listed insufficient support for medication use and rigid lumbar brace wearing, controversial use of antibiotics, and low evidence for exercise therapy to lower pain intensity. (3) Talk about imaging being interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive! One treatment your Tonawanda chiropractor knowledgeably and safely provides is spinal manipulation for neck pain and back pain relief often before and/or despite imaging. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation keeps doing what works for our patients.

CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation

Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Matthew Scott on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the effectiveness and gentleness of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his patient with cervical spine disc degeneration and herniation that allowed him to avoid spine surgery.

Schedule your next Tonawanda chiropractic appointment with Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation. MRIs and Modic changes will not mislead your chiropractor when it comes to setting up a neck pain relieving cervical spine treatment plan.