Imaging Findings

If you have had imaging done to one of your joints and been told that you have some scary sounding diagnosis I know how that can feel. You were probably told that you have a tear or herniation with no context and then told to just move on to figure it out. Although these diagnoses  sound scary they are actually quite common - even in healthy people without any pain.

A lot of these imaging findings are normal wear and tear that happen in a joint. It’s kind of like your hair going gray. It looks different but it is still the same hair and is not really a problem at all. Your mobility remains unchanged.

The imaging is just a snapshot in time. It doesn’t tell you much about how the joint functions or what it is capable of doing in that moment. This is why a lot of athletes will be diagnosed with a tear in one of their joints despite playing on it for so long. Or why some people will opt not to get these problems surgically repaired but are still capable of performing with them as they diminish their pain. 

Research shows that roughly 50% of people without pain can still have a herniated disc in their spine. 60% of people with pain free hips still have labral defects. Just because you have these issues doesn't mean they are causing your pain or affecting your performance. 

So before you rush to the MRI machine get an assessment on what you have going on. Then if you do get the image make sure it correlates to your symptoms and not a false positive. When you come in we will go through a thorough but easy going assessment. Then we can start a Chiropractic program to make sure you are reducing your pain and doing range of motion exercises at home to get stronger. 

Chiropractor in Williamsburg, Brooklyn