MRI findings of joint deterioration are often interpreted as causes of pain, which can trigger costly medical treatments and surgery. Many of the MRI changes may actually not be the source of the pain, and are associated with the aging process.

MRI findings are common in asymptomatic people

over the age of 40 years.

Asymptomatic findings:

Neck - 5-35% disc herniation or bulge

Low back - 68-96% disc degeneration and 50-84% disc buldge

Shoulder - 55-72% labral tear

Knee - 43% cartilage lesions, 19% meniscal tear, and 37% osteophytes

What should you do?

• Consult a care provider that treats your symptoms and not your imaging (treat the patient, not the scan!). Treatment should include exercises, manual therapy and education.

• Recognize that these “abnormal findings” can be part of aging and don’t always require “fixing”

• Understand, just because you have pain today, doesn’t mean you will always have pain! Look at the stats, there is a lot of the population with MRI findings that still live their lives pain free!

• Don’t be afraid to live your life! Bring back movement to the area with the help of your chiropractor.

• Don’t think of it as “degenerative changes” reframe the language into “normal age-related changes”

* Imaging is useful for the differential diagnosis of many conditions, including ruling out serious diseases that can present as musculoskeletal pain, and should be used with appropriate clinical reasoning*

References:

D'Antoni & Crott. J Whiplash Rel Dis 2006

Brinjikiji et al., AJNRR AM J Neuroradiology 2015

Schwartzberg et al., Orthopaedic J Sports Med 2016

Culvenor et al., Br J Spors Med 2019

Heerey et al., Br J Sports Med 2018

Disclaimer

None of the information provided on this website should be substituted for medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed healthcare practitioner.