Manahawkin Cervical Spine Pain: MRI-Seen Changes, & Plan for Care

Analyzing the cervical spine of neck pain patients with MRI imaging can be interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive for treatment planning. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center always considers imaging through the lens of the clinical symptomatology and spinal examination. Manahawkin 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 continues without relief while undergoing 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 guide the care for optimal relief. Modic Changes – vertebral bone endplate and bone marrow changes - are typically noted when radiologists review 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 connection between neck pain and/or cervical spine disc degeneration to MRI-revealed Modic changes reported that cervical spine Modic changes were seen in 5% to 40% of the images. Patients whose MRIs showed Modic changes described more neck pain and disability. Their imaging also showed more cervical disc degeneration. (1) Recently, one MRI study of cervical spines of neck pain and shoulder stiffness patients reported that no classification system 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) Chiropractic care can help pain due to disc degeneration and vertebral changes.

TREATMENT PLANNING 

When [[companyname treats patients with MRI imaging showing Modic changes, researchers and clinicians have been challenged to correlate effective non-surgical treatment options. Review of studies currently published about the treatment of Modic change related back pain, in this review it was low back pain, found that spinal manipulation was suggested as an option. The review listed insufficient support for use of medication and rigid lumbar brace wearing, antibiotics’ use as controversial, and exercise therapy’s use to lower back pain intensity as having low evidence support. (3) Do you see how imaging can be interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive? One thing your Manahawkin chiropractor competently and safely provides is spinal manipulation for neck pain and back pain relief often before and/or despite imaging. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center keeps doing what works for our patients.

CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center

Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Matthew Scott on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares 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 Manahawkin chiropractic appointment with Manahawkin Chiropractic Center. MRIs and Modic changes will not mislead your chiropractor when it comes to establishing a neck pain relieving treatment plan for your cervical spine issues.