It would seem that many MSK courses do not go into great detail on MRI interpretation. Reliance is put on the report provided by the radiologist.
However as clinicians develop, there is real value in getting stronger at understanding MRI scans. This is both to better manage patients and vitally, to be able to pick serious pathology as things can be and are occasionally missed by radiologists.
I work with clinics providing IDD Therapy spinal decompression. The patients are typically chronic and many have had or are considering getting an MRI scan. Clinicians I work with all progress their MRI understanding skills.
Go2Imaging
Go2Imaging provides a six hour training course for MSK clinicians with an interest in back pain looking to improve their understanding of MRI.
The course was produced by Osteopaths Rob Shanks and Darren Chandler of SpinePlus clinics in London and Essex. Rob provides IDD Therapy at two of the clinics.
There are six modules. The first module is free and the course is only £275 (approx. USD350).
We provide the training free to new IDD providers, with 100% excellent reviews.
https://go2imaging.com/lumbarmri/
Not just a useful skill, but a vital skill.
In 2023 I interview Rob for the Spinal Decompression podcast where he spoke about his experiences with IDD Therapy and talked about the MRI course.
Being able to understand MRIs can seem daunting but the value it brings to clinicians is immeasurable. Even something simple like showing patients fat in muscle is a powerful way to connect with the reason for them doing strengthening exercises.
We are commonly interested in the disc itself and correlating symptoms to what can be seen on the scan. It is not uncommon for MRI reports to lack certain detail a clinician may want reporting on.
This is not diagnosis by MRI rather it is a powerful tool. And it is of course immensely valuable for ruling out red flags.
When I interviewed Rob for the podcast, there was a stand out observation from him.
He described having a defibrillator in his clinic and learning CPR. Yet in all his time as a clinician, he had never had to resuscitate someone.
However, he reported that each year he sees two to three scans where life threatening conditions have been missed, such as cancer.
That is not a criticism per se. Nobody is 100% correct all the time but the extra pair of eyes means clinicians can work as a team to better serve the patients.
Since back pain is the number one condition seen in MSK, improving MRI understanding is a logical and valuable skill progression.
Note – We don’t receive commission from the course. We are happy to recommend it having known Rob and Darren for many years.