St Peters 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. Old Mill Chiropractic always considers imaging through the lens of the clinical symptomatology and spinal examination. St Peters 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 continues without relief while undergoing care for an extended period of time, performing imaging is logical and follows today’s guidelines for back pain management. The imaging findings must be correlated with the clinical symptomatology found in the clinical exam to direct 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 with level 1 being the least degenerated and level 3 being the most degenerated. In the lumbar spine, more studies have been performed to correlate back pain symptoms with imaging findings. In the cervical spine, the studies are fewer. A review of 14 research studies regarding the link 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 revealed Modic changes stated 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 reported that no system of classification 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 presenting 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 related back pain, in this case it was low back pain, revealed that spinal manipulation was proposed as an option. The review listed insufficient support for use of medication and rigid lumbar brace wearing, antibiotics’ use as controversial, and low evidence for exercise therapy to lower pain intensity. (3) Do you see how imaging can be interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive? One thing your St Peters chiropractor knowledgeably and safely provides is spinal manipulation for neck pain and back pain relief often before and/or in spite of imaging. Old Mill Chiropractic stays the course with what we see helps our patients.
CONTACT Old Mill Chiropractic
Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Matthew Scott on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the effective, gentle treatment with 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 St Peters chiropractic appointment with Old Mill Chiropractic. MRIs and Modic changes will not mislead your chiropractor when it comes to establishing a neck pain relieving cervical spine treatment plan.
