This article is one of a series covering back pain — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Back Pain Treatment in New York City — The Complete Guide
One of the many conditions we treat here at Back and Body NY is acute trauma, predominantly from athletics injuries. The most common injuries we see are to the neck, knee and ankles. Sometimes, diagnosis may be tricky depending on the injury and so imaging is another way to understand the scope of the injury in order to make an accurate diagnosis.
As with many treatments within the healthcare field, we follow certain protocols to help us narrow down the exact nature of the injury. Here are some of the things we may do and look for when it comes to making a decision about using imaging to investigate further.
Spinal Injuries
We would look at using imaging for any of these five cases listed below:
- If the patient is over 65 years of age
- Struggles to move their head
- Severe injury
- Spinal pain
- Neurological symptoms
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries can be complex so we typically use imaging when any of the below conditions are met along with knee pain.
- If the patient is 55 or over
- Cannot flex the knee beyond 90 deg
- Cannot bear weight on knee after 4 steps
- Tenderness of the patella or head of fibula
Foot & Ankle Injuries
As with knee pain, any foot or ankle pain along with these injuries…
- Unable to bear weight on the foot
- Tenderness around the fifth metertarsal, navicular or either malleolus areas
While imaging is a very important facet in healthcare, we do not send you for imaging for the sake of it. There has to be a good reason for it and by following standard protocols along with our own knowledge and experience, we will have patients undergo necessary imaging when these conditions are met. We take each patient as a separate case and provide the dedicated care and treatments based on a collaborative basis. This enables us to tailor make treatments based on the patient’s needs rather than a cookie cutter type method.
Imaging does help us to see more difficult conditions better and to work out the best plan of action for these types of injury.
If you are in pain, or have any issues, please do not hesitate in contacting us. We are here to help you out of pain, to get back to the life you want to lead and to help you maintain and injury and pain free lief.
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Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.
Further Reading: Back Pain