MRI's 4 back pain is like picking your nose...

From a friend/MD: "getting MRI 4 back pain is like picking ur nose in public. You'll find something interesting but what do u do with it?

This is a twitter post from a fellow Credentialed MDT physical therapist name Alison Helmetsie from New York/Pennsylvania way. You know I LOVE when people say things better than I can and this is definitely one of those times.

A MRI is just that a finding. Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of that finding? What is your doctor supposed to do when there is an "interesting" finding on your MRI. What is normal anyway? What if that finding isn't the pain producer at all. Aren't they just a little obligated to do something once they see something "interesting" on your MRI?

If we are talking about bulging discs I just want to say maybe they are normal. I mean really. If we all begin aging around 12 years old and develop ruptures and tears in the annulus that surrounds the nucleus, in which with repeated movements or sustained postures, the nuclear material can seep into those cracks and cause a bulge. Wouldn't this be "normal?" What about all of us who have bulging discs that have no symptoms at all? Are we abnormal? Why would our creator design us this way? It sure seems like we are designed to bulge...

What if your finding on Xray or MRI is scoliosis. You know where your spine deviates to the right or left of center. What if you have obvious scoliosis? Where you can actually see this curvature of the spine. What if you have image findings like this and you have mechanical pain. Is the pain really coming from your scoliosis or bulging disc or something else? Do you really care? If one or two movements repeated throughout the day at regular intervals abolishes your pain, restores your motion and gives you return of strength? Do you really care what the MRI says?

I know that I don't...I don't really care what the image says, I just want normal pain free function. In fact, I have seen some pretty horrendous MRI's out there over the years. If I treated the MRI those people may not be pain free and enjoying their lives today.

So are you really prepared to get a MRI and sit down with your doctor to discuss the findings? Aren't they supposed to tell you no heavy lifting? No running? No exercise? NO FUN EVER AGAIN? Are you ready for this? If not, then quit asking for MRI's.

Now you know I am not saying this is all or none. You may have cancer, or your disc may be extruded giving you major neurological symptoms, or your scoliosis may be so bad it may progress to impede your breathing. In that case, maybe you will need to curtail your activities. If you play professional football and have these findings, where any kind of contact will make your condition worse as in stenosis, then football is not the right sport for you. However, in all of these instances there are activities and exercise that are actually good for you. As long as you know what to do, how much force, how many repetitions, and what to avoid, exercise is GOOD for you! But again, you know this already. Your body is telling you this.

If you want to die a slow painful death, then just don't do any exercise...lie around in bed all day and eat horrible food. Your poor heart muscle will then do the job for you.

Want to know if you have a rapidly reversible condition? You know what I am going to say..."Everyone Deserves a Good Mechanical Evaluation and Treatment Plan!" Visit grimmpt.com or call 504-228-0524 to see up your assessment today.