Dr. Cady's Blog

If you have not experienced back pain, then you likely know someone who has endured a short bout of low back pain or perhaps is still suffering from the affliction. The most common assumption by many patients is that they have “slipped a disc.” Worst of all, there is a tendency for limited histories and physical exams to be done and MRI studies ordered hastily. Unfortunately, this can lead to an overutilization of unnecessary imaging technology, which leads to many dreadful-sounding descriptions of the patient’s back. The patient’s concerns that a single event happened, such as a slipped disc, may be reaffirmed. This could lead to a patient becoming diagnocentric (see my blog, Diagnocentricity).

But let me just blow some assumptions out of the water here. Does the presence of bulging discs really mean PAIN? Take a look at the graph below to see where your age fits among the various groups:

ALL of these individuals are people who DO have...