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

Studying the cervical spine of neck pain sufferers with MRI imaging can be interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive for treatment planning. Satterwhite Chiropractic always views imaging through the lens of the clinical symptomatology and spinal examination. Oxford 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 direct 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 performed to correlate back pain symptoms with imaging findings. In the cervical spine, the studies are scarcer. A review of 14 research studies about 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 expressed more neck pain and disability. Their imaging also demonstrated more cervical disc degeneration. (1) Of late, an MRI study of cervical spines of neck pain and shoulder stiffness patients reported that no system of classification of cervical disc degeneration correlated with clinical symptoms. However, the researchers did mention that vertebral endplate changes may be linked to clinical symptom presentations. (2) Disc degeneration and vertebral changes causing pain can be addressed with chiropractic care.

TREATMENT PLANNING 

When it comes to chiropractic treatment of patients with MRI imaging displaying Modic changes, researchers and clinicians have faced correlating effective non-surgical treatment options. Review of studies already published about the care of Modic change associated back pain, in this case it was low back pain, revealed that spinal manipulation was proposed as an option. The review listed insufficient support for medication use and rigid lumbar brace wearing, controversial use of antibiotics, and exercise therapy’s use to reduce back pain intensity as having low evidence support. (3) Do you see how imaging can be interesting, confusing, and/or (non)directive? One treatment your Oxford chiropractor competently and safely provides is spinal manipulation for neck pain and back pain relief manytimes before and/or despite imaging. Satterwhite Chiropractic stays the course with what we see helps our patients.

CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic

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.

Schedule your next Oxford chiropractic appointment with Satterwhite Chiropractic. MRIs and Modic changes will not confuse your chiropractor when it comes to establishing a neck pain relieving cervical spine treatment plan.