Waiting for an MRI, Ultrasound or Xray?
There is something about Canadian healthcare that has inadvertently taught us an unintended lesson. One that might not actually be in our best interest. We learn from a young age that when something is wrong with our bodies, we go to the doctor! The doctor then tells us what to do and we follow those steps; one at a time regardless of how slowly the health care system is moving. And while these steps are often the right way to go, it can lead us to believe that this is the ONLY way to do things. And that- isn't necessarily true. Sometimes you can wait for months or even a year or more to get your Ultrasound, MRI, xray, or to get in to see a specialist! And when your pain is ruining the quality of your life .... this can feel like an eternity. Check out this interview with our lead therapist, Michelle, and hear her opinions about whether it is really necesary to wait for your imaging results... or whether there is a way to start feeling better- now!
In this interview we discuss a few key concepts:
Imaging is not the only way to know what is wrong!
A well trained therapist will blow you away with how much they can tell.... without needing xray vision! We know whats going on in your body based on what you tell us about your pain, how your injury occurred, what we can feel with our hands, how your joints move, etc. We can very likely tell you if something is torn or damaged without needing to wait months or a year or more for imaging!
Remember that your therapist spends YEARS learning how to assess and treat injuries and many more years gaining experience working with people like you! A great example is in a sport setting. An Athletic Therapist working with a sports team needs to be able to tell within minutes if a ligament is torn or a bone is broken. By doing this they can decide if it is safe for the athlete to keep playing (if they are able to) or if they need to sit out to prevent further damage. They do this right there on the field! You've likely seen it happen without even knowing what they were doing. In this situation there just isn't time to take the athlete off the field to go get an MRI. We are trained to be fast, efficient and accurate and we repeat these sames tests with you in a clinic setting.
Your imaging results likely won't change our recommended treatment
Because we can identify what is wrong without needing the results from your imaging, we are able to come to a conclusion about what your injury is and make a plan for your recovery. Our plan is extremely personalized to you and your body. It is based on the amount of pain you are in, how the injury is affecting your movement and your life! Therefore our assessment and treatment is arguably more individualized than your imaging results because YOU have a say in it!
Very often we receive imaging results that do nothing but just confirm our assessment and the plan we have already created for you. And I mean- while some assurance is nice... It's not worth suffering for months or a year while you wait for results.
Your bodies response to an injury is more important than the damage itself
Most people don't realize that if you were to take random, pain-free individuals off the street and did an MRI or ultrasound on them, you would find tears, arthritis and other degeneration! Damage to the tissue and the presence of pain are two completely separate things.The pain you are experiencing has more to do with how your nervous system is responding to the damage than the damage itself. If your nervous system is already in a state of panic, it will cause your brain to perceive a lot more pain that a nervous system that is calm.This is why we encourage people not to get too hung up on their imaging results or even their diagnosis. It's just one piece of the puzzle and not the whole story. And having some damage show on your imaging results does not mean it is permanent and does not mean that you have to live a life of pain.
The Conclusion: Why WAIT? Start Feeling Better Now
The take home message from this interview was- DON'T WAIT!
There is no need to suffer in pain unnecessarily while you wait for your imaging results. You can always get started with an assessment and a treatment plan while you wait for your Ultrasound, MRI or xray. It is very likely that by the time you finally get in for your imaging, your pain will likely be either completely gone or at least drastically reduced.
To speak with an injury specialist about whether your specific injury or pain requires an ultrasound, MRI, or xray, click the button below!