My Scan Explains Everything
Does an MRI, X-ray or CT scan really explain why you’re in pain? Medical imaging can reveal arthritis, degeneration, disc changes, injuries and other structural findings—but what appears on a scan isn’t always the cause of your symptoms. Discover what imaging can and can’t tell us about pain, movement and recovery.
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My Scan Explains Everything
Why Your Diagnosis Doesn’t Always Predict Your Future
Have you ever had a scan result and heard yourself thinking, “Well, that explains why I have pain then.” Maybe it was arthritis or degeneration A disc bulge, some other kind of damage that you saw on the scan right there in black and white?
But here’s a question I’d like you to have a little think about – Just because we can see something on a scan, does that mean that’s what’s actually causing my pain?
Hi, I’m Alexis Weidland, osteopath at BlossomingMe and Healthy Learning Lounge.
A story
A little while ago, a lovely client came into the clinic carrying a folder. Before she’d even sat down, she opened it and handed me her MRI re- re- report and said, “Well, here it is. My scan shows degeneration, so I suppose that’s why I’m in pain, and maybe I can’t do anything about it either.”
She looked so disappointed, almost defeated, as though those few lines on the report had already decided what her future would look like.
It made me pause because, well, the scan was showing something important, really important, but… Had anyone ever tried to explain to her what, on a scan – can and cannot tell us?
A Belief
Today, I’d like to gently challenge one belief that I hear so often in my clinic.
If it’s on my scan, that must be the reason I’m in pain, and if I can’t change it on the scan, then I’ll always be in pain.
And sometimes one or both of those things can be true.
Scans can identify fractures, significant injury, inflammatory conditions, arthritis, sometimes even infection, and many other important problems, and they are an incredibly important part of modern healthcare.
They don’t, however, always tell us the whole story.
And I actually find that incredibly reassuring because it means that your scan isn’t the only thing that determines how comfortable you can be!
A scan shows what your body looks like. It doesn’t necessarily tell you why you’re in pain or how your body functions. Scans are excellent at showing structural changes. They can show arthritis, disc changes, tendon issues, previous injuries, age-related wear and tear, and many important medical conditions.
But seeing a change on scan doesn’t automatically tell us that this is the structure creating the pain that we’re feeling right now.
That’s one of the reasons that your healthcare practitioner should always compare your scan with your symptoms, your examination, and your whole story
Photo vs Movie
👉A scan is a photograph.
👉Your body is much more like a movie.
A scan captures one moment in time, usually whilst you’re lying completely still. It can’t show us how your ribcage moves when you breathe, how your pelvis transfers load when you walk, how your muscles coordinate, how your fascia shares the tension of those muscles, how your body adapts throughout an ordinary day. It also can’t show the temporary strains, protective muscle activity, movement patterns, or compensations that may be contributing to your discomfort.
This Is Important Because…
Those are often some of the very things that we, as osteopaths and hands-on therapy practitioners can improve!
Which means that sometimes people can become dramatically more comfortable even though the structure on the scan doesn’t change at all.
Structural change doesn’t always equal pain.
As we move through our life, our bodies will naturally change, just like our skin develops wrinkles or our hair will gradually turn gray. Our joints, discs, tendons, and other tissues also change. Images often will show these age-related changes, previous injuries, and long-standing tissue adaptations.
Sometimes those findings are really important and clearly explain a person’s symptoms. Sometimes they’re one contributing factor among many, and sometimes they’re simply present while the person has no pain at all.
That’s why we don’t treat a scan. We treat a person sitting right in front of us, because understanding how your body functions is just as important as understanding what your scan shows and why.
Interestingly
Over the years, I’ve worked with many people whose scans look quite concerning. Yet many of these people were moving remarkably well and with minimal pain in those areas.
I’ve also worked with people whose scans show very little, yet they’re experiencing significant pain.
Those experiences have reminded me again and again that recovery is about understanding the whole person, not simply an image.
That’s why
Before I even begin examining someone, I spend time listening.
I want to understand their full story, not just about what’s happened in the last week or three.
I want to understand how they move, how they breathe, how they stand, how they walk, how different parts of their body have been sharing load.
Only then do I start putting the pieces together because every one of those pieces gives valuable information
A Thought
So perhaps next time you hear the words,
“Your scan shows,”
Stop and just remember that information is valuable, deserves to be looked at and paid attention to. But it also deserves context.
A scan is one piece of the puzzle.
The more pieces of this puzzle that we can understand, the better decisions that we can make together. So from this,
I have three invitations for you.
- The first is if you have had a scan, read it with curiosity rather than with fear.
If there are parts that you don’t understand, ask questions. Understanding often reduces unnecessary worry.
- My second invitation, remember that your body is more than just an image. Notice what helps, what aggravates things, how you move, how you breathe.
Are you actually, over time, improving – in at least one part of your life? Those things all matter.
- And my third invitation is keep building your body’s capacity, no matter what the scans show. Recovery isn’t usually about finding the perfect… anything. It’s about helping your body to become more adaptable, more resilient, and over time, more confident. There are things that we can do no matter what’s on the scan to help to build a little bit more capacity.
Recap
Over the last few weeks, we’ve challenged and discussed some very common beliefs. We explored whether posture is really the problem, whether pain tells the whole story, whether recovery is about finding the one magic solution, and today, whether a scan explains everything we feel. My hope isn’t that you stop valuing any of these things because they are all important.
My hope is that you begin seeing each one as a valuable piece of a much bigger picture, because that’s how I believe our bodies work, as wonderfully connected systems, always adapting, always communicating, always doing their best to help us.
Next Step
If this series has helped you to start to think about your body differently, I’d really love to hear your a-ha moments and what you’ve identified.
I’d love to invite you to continue exploring.
If you’ve ever wondered what patterns might be in- influencing your symptoms,
try our new Integrative Pain Pattern Discovery Coach. It asks thoughtful questions to help you to understand some of the influences that may be affecting your body, and give you some practical first steps to begin supporting your recovery right now from home.
And if you’re ready to improve the way your body breathes, moves, manages pressure and load transfer, the Rib Cage Reset Mini-course is a wonderful place to start. You’ll find the links for both below.
Reflection
As we finish this first Recovery Reframed series, I’d love you to think back over the last four weeks. Has there been one belief that has actually changed? One idea that surprised you? One question that you’re now asking differently? Because I truly believe that understanding is one of the most powerful first steps towards your recovery. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey.
So that’s it for today.
Did it raise any questions or aha moments? If so, I’d love to hear them. So please put those in the comment section. I love answering questions. I hope you found today useful. And if you know someone who could use this information, please share it. Remember to comment, like and subscribe.
Until next time and in health,
Bye for now.
Click the Button Below for my RibCage Reset min-course
About Blossoming Me
BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Cranio-sacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage.
Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.
**Disclaimer** The information provided by BlossomingMe, on our website, in our courses, and in our blogs and posts, is for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided on this site and social outlets is not, nor intended to be, a substitute for profess
ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.
