Tag: mri

Medically speaking, we’re treating lower back pain all wrong according to an opinion piece in Medpage today.

Posted on by bill
Medically speaking, we’re treating lower back pain all wrong according to an opinion piece in Medpage today. The evidence is stunning when you look at the approaches to lower back pain and other spinal conditions, yet the healthcare systems have responded slowly. According to Christine Goertz, DC, Ph.D., one of the most trusted researchers who studies and publishes on body mechanics and back pain, “ In December 2019, I attended a National Academies of Sciences workshop on the role of non-pharmacological approaches to pain management. ”  While some researchers believed more research is needed, several said they believed that we have Read More »

Avoiding surgical approaches to musculoskeletal problems is supported by the best available medical evidence according to a new study.

Posted on by bill
Avoiding surgical approaches to musculoskeletal problems is supported by the best available medical evidence according to a new study. My wife had told me about a friend of hers who continues to have problems with her shoulder after having multiple surgeries.   This is not unusual as many approaches borne out of our over-specialized American medical system have led to unnecessary costs, irreparable damage, and chronic pain. In 2017, the Annals of Internal Medicine recommended avoiding drugs and surgeries as the first options for lower back pain due to the best available evidence.  They included a list of methods that were Read More »

Is the opioid crisis the other white coat syndrome?

Posted on by bill
Is the opioid crisis the new white coat syndrome? White coat syndrome occurs when a patient has their blood pressure taken and it is temporarily high requiring an additional reading. The Opioid crisis has been created when big pharma manipulated the medical system into believing that managing pain is the same as understanding why someone hurts. Opioid addiction has unfortunately been caused by a misuse of a pain relieving product that was addictive by a profession that has a poor understanding of why people hurt. Stay away from people who wear white coats who use knives is a constant refrain Read More »

Your MRI may be the wrong medicine to determine treatment for sciatic pain.

Posted on by bill
Your MRI may be the wrong medicine to determine treatment for sciatic pain. For years, the MRI has been the determinant used to determine who is a candidate for more aggressive forms of treatment including surgery.  A new study was published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. written by Abdelilah el Barzouhi, MD, Ph.D., and colleagues is now suggesting that this test according to the data they collected is a poor test to determine who should consider aggressive surgery vs. more conservative proven methods such as chiropractic. Failed back surgery syndrome is when a surgery done to the lower back Read More »

NPR wonders why we would shop for a couch but are willing to pay an outrageous price for a medical service.

Posted on by bill
NPR wonders why we would shop for a couch but are willing to pay an outrageous price for a medical service. Why is it we are willing to visit a few stores to get the best deal on a television or a couch, but when you want to purchase a health care service such as a blood test, or an MRI, most of us just go, and then wait to find out how much it would cost us when we got our insurance bill. Of course, some healthcare services such as rehab, your local therapist, or your chiropractor are not Read More »