The Misuse and Pitfalls of MRI's and X-ray's for Pain || WBWL Ep 90

In this episode, we dive into the overutilization and misuse of X-ray and MRI imaging in diagnosing pain. While many physicians and healthcare providers rely heavily on imaging to uncover the root cause of pain, they often overlook the significant psychosocial impact it has on patients. These diagnostic tools can sometimes mislead or even cause more harm than good, shaping the way individuals perceive and cope with their pain.

We’ll explore the hidden consequences of overdiagnosis, unnecessary imaging, and the cycle it creates for those suffering from chronic pain. Learn how imaging can affect your journey to healing and why a more holistic, patient-centered approach is critical.

If you're tired of relying on imaging for answers and want to break free from the pain cycle, we invite you to apply for our Pain Relief Coaching Program. Let us guide you toward lasting results without relying on unnecessary imaging.

Apply now: https://go.flexwithdoctorjay.com/apply
We guarantee our results or will continue with work with you until you achieve them! 

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Episode Transcript

(00:02):
So I wanted to share a quickexcerpt on why MRIs and X rays
are heavily overutilized and whythat might not be one of the
primary things that you shouldconsider when it comes to
getting rid of any form of painor seeing what is wrong and how
to rectify that.

(00:22):
So when you go to a physician orpractitioner, very often they
will ask you about your pain.
Where is your pain?
How long has it been going on?
And very often, the thing thatthey're going to do is they're
going to assign you to get anMRI or an X ray.
And very often we would wantthat.
The reason why we want to seethat is to fix what we call the
root cause.

(00:42):
And that root cause could bethat there could be a disc
involvement.
There could be some sort ofcartilage damage or arthritis
that you might want to figureout.
Very often, that is what they'llrecommend, is an MRI or an X
ray.
The reason why you might notwant to consider that first is
because it may cause a lot offear and it may cause a lot of

(01:03):
fear inducing behaviors that youmight start to develop as a
result of figuring out what youlook like on the inside.
So for example, if you actuallygot that information that you
got an MRI on your lower backand you start to see that you
have L4 L5 disc herniation andyou start to see that you have
multi level arthritis or facetarthrosis.

(01:26):
What is generally going to beyour first impressions when it
comes to getting those results?
Do you even know what thosethings actually mean?
And if you don't know what thosemeans and it's hard to
interpret, then it creates a lotof anxiety and it creates a lot
of uncertainty in you.
That information, which is lotsof information being thrown at
you, oftentimes starts to createoverwhelm.

(01:47):
We've all heard that before.
Information overload orinformation overwhelm.
And that information in itselfcan create a lot of fear
mongering behavior.
It can cause you to want to curlup into a ball.
Rather than empower yourself todo things that I actually give
to my clients, or that oftenphysical therapies would give,
which is start to provideassurance, start to provide

(02:08):
movement and exercises, to startto reduce that discomfort, is
that we oftentimes will get theMRI and get an x ray, And that
will eventually self limit ourmindset, it will self limit our
ability to do certain exercises.
We may become fearful of doingcertain exercises because of the
information on what we look likeon the inside.

(02:30):
It is just very common forphysicians and practitioners to
automatically give these twothings, which are MRIs and X
rays, and oftentimes painmedication.
Because pain medication To me,it's like giving candy to a
baby.
It's we want to pacify them asfast as possible.
So the thing that they canprovide as a mechanism of

(02:51):
Pacification would be to giveyou pain medication, but also
they want to figure out what'sgoing on the inside Then they
can provide their impressions.
They can provide their reportand be like no wonder you're
dealing with pain So that's whythat these are the things on the
MRI and x ray these imagingsshow exactly what the root cause
is But I'm here to tell youthat's essentially not what the

(03:12):
root cause is Did you know that97 percent of pain, injury,
diseases, are essentially allmodifiable with lifestyle
factors?
So if you're having neck and lowback pain or shoulder pain as a
result of sitting at your deskis it really a result of what
you might see on an MRI and Xray, which may show arthritis

(03:32):
and things like that, or is itbecause of poor stress coping
mechanisms?
Is it because you're gettingpoor sleep?
Is it because you're alwaysoverwhelmed and anxious at work,
which creates a lot of tensionin your body?
Is it because financially you'renot doing well, so therefore
that's creating a lot of stressand overwhelm in yourself?
Is there relationships aroundyou that are not being rectified

(03:54):
and that's causing you stress aswell?
So I'm not saying thateverything is a result of
stress.
I'm also not, I'm also notbasically saying that, excluding
that, all information on MRIsand x rays are going to be bad,
right?
Some information is good.
Some information is relevant.
What I'm saying is that MRIs andx rays are often used as the
first line of defense, whichtherefore perpetuates

(04:16):
Essentially this paincatastrophizing you feeling
helpless about your situationand saying There's nothing that
can really help me because Ialready have arthritis in the
first place when in fact thatresearch their plethora of
research Shows that MRIs and xrays are strictly just static
images.
They are static images Theydon't really determine how you
feel and they are just staticimages so my thing that I always

(04:38):
say to my clients is Imagine ifI just took a picture of your
face.
Just take my camera, do aselfie, and then I strictly take
a picture of your face.
Now whether you're sad, happy,angry, depressed, I'm truly not
really understanding who you arebecause it's strictly just a
static image of who you are.
I don't know your stressors, Idon't know what makes you happy,

(04:59):
I don't know what makes you sad.
Okay, I don't know anythingabout your history, and that's
essentially how we shouldperceive MRIs and x rays, too,
is that it's strictly just astatic image of what we look
like on the inside, andtherefore what we actually feel
may not be the rightinterpretations of how we feel,
okay?
Because there are a lot ofpeople over the age of 30, 40,

(05:24):
50, 60, 70, 80 years of age Thathave confirmed MRI confirmed on
MRI that they have arthritis,that they have a herniated disc,
they have facet arthrosis, theyhave disc degeneration.
There's all these differentthings that again are always
shown on MRIs and x rays thatthey're, your MRIs and x rays
are not gonna look the same asif you were 10 years of age.

(05:44):
When you're 10 years of age, 7years of age, generally your
spine is super healthy.
There shouldn't be anythinggoing wrong unless you have some
sort of genetic anomaly.
But, at the same time, again, Weall know that we have a spine or
we have extremities that lookdifferent from what we did when
we were 10 years of age.
So if we can confirm that wehave these things in us already,

(06:09):
that shouldn't determine how wefeel, okay?
Arthritis and things aren'talways indicative of pain.
Facet arthrosis and discdegeneration, I confirm that I
actually have that right now.
I've confirmed it since my early20s that I have arthritis.
Early disc degeneration in myneck, but I don't deal with any
neck pain whatsoever.
I also have lumbar scoliosis.
I also have thoracic scoliosis.

(06:30):
My spine is curved abnormally,apparently.
And I can see that when I takepictures.
I can see my sternum is tilted.
But, does that give anyindication of how I feel, how I
function?
No.
Okay?
Because I am a doctor ofphysical therapy.
I'm in this gym six to sevendays a week.
I keep my body very strong.
I've made mobility a habit.

(06:51):
I eat pretty well.
And so therefore my body on adaily basis, I don't deal with a
lot of pain despite a lot ofthese confirmed diagnoses that
have been thrown at me byvarious practitioners,
chiropractors, massagetherapists, you name it.
Okay.
So I just want to let you knowthat if you were to somewhat
reverse time, like I'm talkingto people that potentially they

(07:12):
already got the MRI and x ray.
Just rest assured that thethings that you see are not
always indicative of why you aredealing with something.
If you're dealing with aspecific pain in your shoulder,
and you have maybe confirmedsomething in the shoulder, does
it always mean that what we seeon the MRIs are directly
correlated with the exact amountof pain that we're feeling?

(07:34):
Not exactly.
Okay?
You can still do a lot ofstrength training.
You can do a lot of things thatare within your control.
that will allow you to have apain free shoulder again, okay?
That's what we call selfefficacy.
Self efficacy is the belief inyourself that you ha that you
can determine your own outcomes,that you can determine whether
you're in pain or not.

(07:55):
So when you can be more selfefficacious, which then empowers
you to be in control of your ownhealth, rather than having these
MRIs or x ray results determinehow you feel, because, look, we
know that when we get morefearful, anxious, depressed,
overwhelmed, we understand thatwe start to act differently.
That in itself starts to createmore pain in our body because of

(08:19):
the anxiety and the fearsitself.
So we can tell ourselves andconvince ourselves, persuade
ourselves that everything'sokay, just because I have an MRI
x ray that has confirmed Damagein my body, that I'm confirmed
damaged goods, it doesn'tnecessarily determine what I
feel or how my life is going tolook like in two years, five

(08:39):
years, or ten years down theline.
Okay?
So if you can tell yourself andgive yourself that absolute
assurance that MRIs and x raysdon't determine how I feel, the
sooner you can start to getyourself back on track in terms
of not just managing pain, whichis Chronic pain management.
That's for another podcastepisode, for example, but I

(09:00):
would definitely say topermanently Eliminate some of
the pain, the tension, and someof the things that you're
feeling on a daily basis.
All right?
So again, just wanted to giveyou this quick excerpt on why I
feel that MRIs and x rays areheavily overutilized and if you
want to know one more fact hereis that MRIs and x rays, when
somebody actually Confirmsgetting that and when they

(09:21):
confirm that they've actuallygotten an MRI or an x ray that
increases the chance of yougetting an injection or surgery
by four folds down the line.
Okay?
Because you know what you looklike on the inside, doctors and
other practitioners andphysicians have confirmed that
potentially you're damagedgoods, and therefore the only
solution to fix the damagedgoods is through surgery, or

(09:44):
through some sort of moreinvasive measures.
Come see a physical therapist,come see a practitioner that can
empower you despite the MRIs anddespite the x rays, And I think
that you'll be well under trackto living a pain free life.
That's what I got for today, andif you have any questions, feel
free to drop me a line, feelfree to text me, email me.

(10:04):
I'm foundflexitdrj on theirInstagram, TikTok, YouTube or
you can actually text us aswell.
Text us 415 965 6580.
We're always happy to help.
My team is always here toprovide assurance and to provide
you the right guidance for youto live that pain free life.
Take care and have a good restof your day.