A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Well, what if a picture costs you $1000’s and a lot of unnecessary pain and strife? That’s exactly what an MRI can do. MRI technology is a relatively new diagnostic tool. Most of us have had an x-ray, but never an MRI. Now that MRI’s are used to quickly take a snapshot of what may be causing something such as low back pain (LBP), an image that reveals a ‘bulge’ is often seen as not only the route cause of the LBP, but is also the trigger that justifies an immediate surgical intervention.

Tim Flynn, PT PHD, recently shared a post on his blog about the overutilization of diagnostic imaging in the management of musculoskeletal disorders. He discusses a recent post in the New England Journal of Medicine that reveals the resolution of a lumbar disc herniation without surgery.

Too often, I have seen this or read stories of patients who were scared into going under the knife when the imaging revealed this ‘abnormality’, only to later realize that not only is the pain still present, but the dissected area has been compromised and weakened, further aggravating their symptoms.

Surgery is a necessary part of physical medicine for good reason. However, so is physical therapy and manual therapy. Too often, images such as this seem to draw a bold line from symptoms to causation, prompting a surgical intervention. This recent post shows how more conservative measures of rehabilitation may reduce a herniation without the need for surgery. Read More.

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Please Pass the Mustard

I’m going to go way out on a limb and guess that the last time you had a leg cramp your immediate reaction was to either stretch it, rub it, ice it or a combination of any of these responses. What if I told you that you should eat some yellow mustard for an almost…

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Cheers to More Energy, Mental Clarity and Focus in 2015!

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Head Games

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What’s the Scoop on your Poop?

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Your Referrals Can Be A ‘Real’ Pain

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What are Shin Splints?

What are Shin Splints? We treat a lot of different conditions at The Boston Bodyworker, ranging from general stress and fatigue to chronic pain. One of the more popular complaints we get from our running population is shin splints. If you have ever had them, you know how uncomfortable the pain can be and how…

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Let’s Talk About Sex!

There are three areas of conversation that we are told too avoid at all cost while in the treatment room; sex, politics and religion. These subjects are clearly based upon ones personal opinions and beliefs and are rarely needed to provide sound clinical outcomes in massage therapy. Today, I am making an exception. New research…

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Tips on “That” Tape

Over the past year or so, we have seen a heightened interest in “that cool looking tape” otherwise known as kinesiology tape. The tape has become more and more popular and is now even being sold in places like Target and City Sports. To weekend warriors, success with this new tape has been a bag…

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