Chances are, you have been diagnosed with something at some point in your life. Perhaps a fancy imaging technique like MRI or CT was utilized to reach your diagnosis. While these life-saving tools are essential parts of the health care system, they are vastly over-utilized in both chronic and acute conditions and can lead to feelings of fear. There are a couple problems with this way of examining a patient. The first is that expensive tests are utilized to identify a problem that is easily found with a physical examination, which hurts the system from an economic viewpoint. In our office, disc problems are by far the most common way this happens, but it happens across the board in healthcare. As I've stated in previous posts, a thorough history and examination is enough to make a proper diagnosis and rule out any red flags that may warrant other procedures. Many times, patients with routine neck or back problems/injuries are examined with MRI which reveals a disc bulge or herniation. This is a powerful moment in their pain experience where the patient can see a picture of why they are having their problem. This is a critical time when many doctors fail to explain a condition. Many times people come to my office and tell me that they have "disc bulges" and "arthritis" and they just know that "their back is a mess." They may be right about their back being a mess and need treatment, but they also cling to that diagnosis that they received so many years ago. The fact is, the body HEALS over time and you can take steps towards REVERSING your diagnosis 99% of the time. Reassurance and monitoring by your doctor in the initial stages of an episode of pain is essential. The diagnosis is really NOT important. The more important questions are how and why did this condition develop, and what can be done to reverse this and get back to a state of health and wellness? Always ask your doctor about the hows and the whys of your condition.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Joel Ardner
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