Williamson Cervical Spine Pain: MRI-Seen Changes, & Plan for Care
Studying the cervical spine of neck pain patients with MRI imaging can be interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive for treatment planning. Apple Country Chiropractic always views imaging through the lens of the clinical symptomatology and spinal examination. Williamson neck pain with imaging-revealed changes in the cervical spine will receive 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 seen 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: 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 scarcer. A review of 14 research studies regarding the link between neck pain and/or cervical spine disc degeneration to MRI-revealed Modic changes described that cervical spine Modic changes were present in 5% to 40% of the images. Patients whose MRIs showed Modic changes stated more neck pain and disability. Their imaging also demonstrated more cervical disc degeneration. (1) Recently, 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 explain 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 displaying Modic changes, researchers and clinicians have faced correlating effective non-surgical treatment options. Review of studies previously published about the treatment of Modic change associated back pain, in this case it was low back pain, revealed that spinal manipulation was advocated as an option. The review recorded insufficient support for medication use and rigid lumbar brace wearing, antibiotics’ use as controversial, and low evidence for exercise therapy to lower pain intensity. (3) Talk about imaging being interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive! One treatment your Williamson chiropractor competently and safely provides is spinal manipulation for neck pain and back pain relief often before and/or in spite of imaging. Apple Country Chiropractic stays the course with what our experience tells us is good for our patients.
CONTACT Apple Country 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.
Make your next Williamson chiropractic appointment with Apple Country Chiropractic. MRIs and Modic changes will not mislead your chiropractor when it comes to setting up a neck pain relieving treatment plan for your cervical spine issues.
