I had a new patient come in last week who told me she thought she would never get better.
So I asked her why she felt that way?
She said her MRI results had shown multiple disc herniations in her back and neck and she was told she would have to live with the pain she had for now. The herniations were not bad enough for surgery and there wasn’t anything they could do for now.
Her primary care had told her that her x-rays showed some of the worst arthritis he had ever seen.
She came to me tearful and upset, concerned that this was now her life.
I wanted to share this story in case you can relate.
The truth about imaging….
Truth is – she was NOT the first client of mine to express fear in what an imaging report showed, or ask if it was needed.
Unless you had a trauma and are worried about a fracture or a break, there is likely no need for you to get an x-ray or an MRI.
Unfortunately – more often than not, back pain sufferers are put through x-rays and MRI scans that just end up creating more fear and anxiety around their condition, just like my patient last week.
And although imagining may give you a technical name for what’s wrong, it doesn’t tell you how to fix it…. WHICH IS WHAT YOU WANT.
For my recent patient, her arthritis was just a fancy name for the symptoms she’s experiencing… her back pain.
But in order to put an end to back pain permanently, we have to focus on finding and treating the root cause of her pain.
And this scary diagnosis from her MRI placed such a huge emphasis on the symptoms, rather than the root cause.
So long story short… you are NOT your image!
Whether you’ve already been sent for imaging and received frightening results, or you were told you need it to end your pain, you are not alone!
!! What you can do: get a good functional exam and figure out what is causing your pain and how to fix it. Do not focus on results from imaging, and do not despair over it. And call if you have any questions or concerns!
PS- if you or someone you know has been recommended for an x-ray or MRI or is concerned with their MRI results, please have them reach out and get a second opinion!