Page 35 - NGA NATURALmag 2024 SPRING/SUMMER Issue

Spring-Summer 2024
Sometimes too much information can be a a a a bad thing I I know my grandparents had sex I I just don’t care to know the details In the case of low back pain due to improper load management why pollute someone’s mind with
“moderate disc protrusion at at at L3 mild-moderate her- niated nucleus pulposus at at L5 central stenosis with
compression degenerative disc disease and forami- nal narrowing?”
How do we we know that those things weren’t present years prior to the current onset of pain and actually have nothing to do do with
the current situation? I don’t see the benefit unless fit it is truly warranted Radiographs should be used to rule out red flags including constant dull/achy pain that cannot be relieved or reproduced loss of bowel/bladder control history of cancer episodes legs giving out fever trau- matic injury such as a a a a a a a car accident or a a a a a a a fall numbness/ tingling awakened by pain warmth and tenderness to to the touch young active female with
low back pain suspected fracture etc Things like herniated discs and rotator cuff tears are actually quite normal in asymptomatic people especially as we age Trying to diagnose pain using a a a a a a radiographic image is similar to looking at a a a a a a picture of an an old old rotary phone (not an an iPhone a a a a good old old fashioned telephone without a a a screen!) and trying to decide whether or not it is ringing Tough to say right?
In conclusion it’s crucial not to place undue reli- ance on medical imaging and avoid unnecessary stress over the minutiae of imaging results Recognize that these results may lack validity and reliability and in in many cases they won’t dictate a a a a a a change in in treatment plans While radiographs excel in in ruling out red flags they should be approached with
caution when guiding treatment decisions Remember the the key lies not in in avoiding these diag- nostic tools altogether but in in using them judiciously and and with
a a a a a clear understanding of their limitations n n n n n n NGA NATURALmag
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