It is often said that you cannot have something fast, cheap, and good at the same time and that you must choose the two that matter most to you. So why would we think that healthcare would be any different.  We have a healthcare system which is completely broken because quality always seems to lose...Read More

There is a misconception in the media and healthcare as to the radiologist’s role in a patient’s health care.  I have seen countless medical television episodes that portray a surgeon or ER doctor sitting behind a computer directing an imaging exam and making a diagnosis based on these images as they come across the screen....Read More

As a doctor, we know that history is the most important thing that a patient can provide to their doctors to help make the diagnosis.  It is well known amongst doctors that 80% of patient diagnoses can be made by history alone without any lab tests or imaging exams.  There is a role for screening...Read More

Back pain can be relentless and can prevent you from carrying out your normal daily routines not only in your personal life but also in your job.  It is therefore not uncommon to want to get better as soon as possible which often is the driving force behind seeking back surgery.  However, it is important...Read More

Many people that I encounter tell me that they would never have back surgery again or that after 2-3 surgeries they are still not better or perhaps even worse than when they started. However, unfortunately, they often had a surgery performed without the correct diagnosis which leads to the incorrect treatment. For instance, pain that...Read More

There are many different treatment options for different types of pain, injuries, and disease processes that occur.  The problem that many patients encounter is that they focus on the treatment rather than the diagnosis.  A study performed at the Mayo Clinic showed that 21% of the time a patient received a different diagnosis after getting...Read More

It is not surprising that we all tend to gain a few extra pounds over the holidays and despite our best efforts to try to exercise ahead of time it still tends to happen.  The reality is that there is good and bad news that comes along with these extra 3-5 pounds.  The good news...Read More

It is very common for physicians to review their own films, whether in the emergency room or in their own offices seeing patients.  However, as we all experience at times, a clinician’s confirmation bias can heavily weigh on their opinion as is often founded on the type of doctor they are.  This type of bias...Read More

If you’re like many people, you never ask important questions of your doctor before following treatments they prescribe. Many patients tend to look for health care providers who are friendly, spend the most time with them, or who smile and listen to their story intently. These are qualities perceived by many patients to make for...Read More

Marrow changes of the spine follow a pattern that assists the radiologist in determining the degenerative status of the lumbar spine. These marrow changes abutting the vertebral cortex are frequently seen with disk disease and are rare in asymptomatic patients. The early marrow changes are thought to be most symptomatic in up to 70% of...Read More