The correlation between the findings on MRI of spinal disorders and physical signs. The meaning of physical signs in clinical acupuncture therapy / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has brought significant advancements in the diagnosis of spinal disorders. But there is much debate about the abnormalities detected by MRI clinically. In this study, we try to clarify the correlation between spinal abnormalities detected by MRI and physical signs in 45 patients with neck, shoulder, and low back pain. Physical signs were segmental sensory disturbance, amyotrophy, and radicular pain, and the abnormalities of MRI were bulging, protrution, extrution, and osteophytes. MRI showed a symptomatic change, that is a false positive (abnormality of MRI<SUP>*</SUP> (+), physical sign<SUP>**</SUP> (-)), in 26 of the 45 patients (57.7%), a true positive (+, <SUP>**</SUP>+) in 15 of 45 patients (31.1%), a true negative (<SUP>*</SUP>+, <SUP>**</SUP>-) in the remaining 5 patients (11.1%).<BR>These results suggested that the physical signs are more important than the abnormalities of MRI in patients with neck, shoulder and low back pain. We think that the acupuncture therapist should carry out a more detailed physical examination of the patients clinically.