My MRI Looks Terrible! Is it Too Late to Try a Chiropractor?
- Dr. Amy
- Sep 30
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 30
Picture this: Your neck has been hurting for the past month, and you had a headache every morning last week. You visit your primary care doctor to get checked out. He orders an MRI, and in the meantime, you're offered a prescription pain reliever. You came to the office, and he wants to give you some relief.
A few days later, the doctor calls. The MRI report shows bone spurs in your neck, degeneration between several vertebrae, and a disc bulge. "Surgery might be your next step," he says, and the front desk schedules your consult with the surgeon.
You're conflicted. You've been avoiding the Vicodin all week, because you don't want to take an opioid. Despite the bad MRI results, you want alternatives to surgery, too. Your options feel limited and extreme, and you don't know what else to try.
Should you see a chiropractor after MRI?
How Common Are Headaches and Neck Pain?
Headaches affect about 65% of Americans during their lifetime, and up to 33% are living with one right now. That means that more than 115 MILLION people in the United States have a headache as you're digesting this blog post.
What about neck pain? About 15% of adults in the U.S. experience neck pain during any 3-month period, and over half of them will have it again within 5 years.
Neck pain usually doesn't indicate a serious medical condition, but it's a major cause of disability claims. That means people aren't physically unable to do their jobs, but they're saying, "I'm in so much pain, I can't work." What misery!
People are suffering, and their medical doctors don't have the tools to help them. That's why the illustration above is happening all over the country every day. Are you starting to see why people turn to chiropractic care for headache, neck pain, and back pain?
Surgery might fix all those MRI findings, but will it bring relief? Let's look at the research.
Do Structural Changes Dictate Pain?
Study One
A recent study, published in September 2025, included 574 participants and investigated how MRI findings correlate with headache severity.
They found that as the number of findings increased, symptom severity decreased.
To put it another way, folks with multiple areas of bulging discs and spinal degeneration experienced less severe headaches.
This graphic shows a healthy spine and also one with structural changes that sometimes show up on imaging. You can see degeneration of vertebrae, discs, and facets. Bone spurs and bulging discs are other changes you might see. It looks and sounds bad, but it might not be that painful.
Here's Another Study
In 2015, The Journal of Neuroradiology published a report combining data from 33 articles that looked at MRIs and CTs of over 3,000 participants without back pain.
HALF of the 30-year-olds in these studies had spinal disc changes but NO SYMPTOMS. About a third of 50-year-olds had degeneration of the facets (joints between spinal bones) but NO SYMPTOMS.
Why does this matter?
It tells us that there's a good chance your pain is not directly related to your structural changes. Your MRI report could be several pages long, and your pain might have nothing to do with any of those findings. That's a great reason to talk to a chiropractor after MRI.
So, Why Do I Have Headaches? Why Does My Back Hurt?
If structural changes aren't the problem, where is your pain coming from?
The problem is function.
🤝 How are your joints & muscles working together?
😫 Is your nervous system stressed out and overwhelmed?
🗣 Are your brain and body communicating clearly and accurately?
💃 Do your daily habits reinforce healthy activity in your nervous system, muscular system, and skeletal system?
Form follows function. Those changes in form developed over time because of how your body was functioning (biomechanics).
You don't need surgery to remove structural changes unless you've already addressed the biomechanical dysfunction, and chiropractors are experts at that.
How Can Chiropractic Help Me?
Chiropractic care improves how your brain and body communicate, so your body works better and feels better.
Adjustments allow your joints to move more smoothly through their healthy range of motion so you can live and move pain-free.
Stretching & strengthening exercises balance muscle tension so you feel strong and supported, not tight and stiff.
Hi. I'm Dr. Amy Crowe. As a chiropractor, I help people every day with headaches, neck pain, back pain, and more.
What to Expect
First, we'll discuss your health and medical history, as well as your current problem.
Next, you'll receive a thorough exam to determine what tissues are involved and where your pain is coming from.
Finally, I'll give you a plan for what we'll do during your appointments and what you can do at home to get the most out of your care and create lasting change.
So, your MRI shows you're a hot mess. 🤷♀️
It is NOT too late to try a chiropractor.
If you're ready to feel better and move freely again, get in touch.
📞 Call now with questions or to book your first appointment: 816-405-2532
📍 Serving Kansas City and surrounding areas
📅 Book online anytime: Click here to request your appointment
Publicly available links:
Comments