Spine Imaging Insights from Dr. Jonathan Masur: Bridging the Gap Between Neuroradiology and Chiropractic Practice

Jun 30, 2023 | ANJC News & Updates

I was recently afforded the tremendous opportunity to deliver the Friday morning General Session presentation at the 2023 ANJC Annual Conference.

As a Neuroradiologist, it seemed logical that my own clinical practice would overlap with the practice of the chiropractor, but it was gratifying to have discussions with the members and receive feedback on what is important to them.

The session mainly focused on spine imaging. Particularly MRI.

While CT is a mainstay of radiology imaging, the lack of radiation, soft tissue contrast, and level of detail for spinal disorders with MRI are far superior to CT.

There was a focus on degenerative disease, a significant topic for ANJC members.

Discerning acute changes from chronic ones is one advantage of MRI, and we reviewed some of the more common findings that could make these distinctions. Of course, one of the more critical things emphasized in our mutual discussions was the value of an interactive consultation between the radiologist and the chiropractic physician because many cases are complex, and the clinical scenario is very important.

At Princeton Radiology, we have a team of radiologists who are always available to discuss cases, guide imaging, and assist clinical decision-making in this way. At the end of the presentation, I also briefly surveyed some non-degenerative diseases of the spine.

The session had a robust Q&A portion, and we made progress learning from each other.

We had multiple discussions that reverberated throughout the audience about several topics related to many aspects of clinical practice and imaging findings. Questions were taken during and after the slide presentation, which proved lively and informative.

Princeton Radiology values clinical collaboration and invests in the coordination of its patient care processes, modern equipment, and other technology. Our imaging studies are available to the ordering physician through a simple physician portal. I also informed the audience that Princeton Radiology has a unique pre-authorization service for MRIs, the medical necessity of which is certainly challenged by commercial payers these days.

It was a shared learning session indeed, and it felt as though we set the stage for future collaboration both in the clinical and conference setting with the unified goal of improving patient care.

After the session, I had the pleasure of meeting several attendees and discussing the presentation in the context of their clinical practice.

This was rewarding and enlightening. As a general rule, radiologists gain the most insight into the efficacy of their work by receiving feedback from the ordering clinicians.

In this sense, I hope that the information provided in the session will produce a positive effect on the practice of the chiropractor regarding imaging usage and patient outcomes, and I look forward to feedback in that regard. Future sessions could revisit and expand upon the imaging principles discussed and their clinical manifestations.

I would like to give a warm thank you to the ANJC.

The coordination of the event and the hospitality were excellent, and the logistics of both my stay at the conference and the talk session were made easy. Special thanks to Jaclyn Waterman and Vic Rossi for their efforts in this regard.

I look forward to cultivating and continuing our professional relationship.