![]() Creating a whole diagnosis and treatment plan around this is the equivalent of diagnosing someone with depression based on a picture of them frowning. One of the most important reasons to be careful with the interpretation of imaging findings especially when dealing with musculoskeletal conditions, is because images are a static snapshot of a singular moment in time. They may not know that 75% of people with no symptoms have cervical disc bulges, or that up to 85% of adults with no pain have some degree of osteoarthritis. Your family physician may not be as well versed in musculoskeletal conditions as a well-trained physical therapist. Especially with family physician’s, they’re often so overwhelmed with case loads that they don’t have the time to discuss innocuous findings. It takes time to explain the results of imaging, and in rushed doctor’s offices, they simply don’t always have the time to discuss in depth the results of your imaging. So why haven’t you heard about VOMIT and BARF? The answers… Reasons You Don’t Always Get the Full Story Closely related to VOMIT, this is referred to as, “Brainless Application of Radiological Findings” or BARF for short.ĭespite how tongue-in-cheek this all sounds, none of it is a joke! See this poster for more examples of VOMIT and how to better understand common imaging findings, and this article for a more in-depth look at common incidental findings. While not always the case, theses findings are often incidental and unrelated to the source and cause of pain. Made worse, a referral to an orthopedic surgeon is made instead of a referral to a qualified physical therapist. Often a disc herniation will be revealed, quickly followed by images of surgery dancing across your eyes. The same thing happens when sent for an MRI following an acute case of back pain. But when told you have severe osteoarthritis of the knee, the diagnosis can cause significant psychological harm and worsen symptoms. For example, osteoarthritis is commonly seen in weight-bearing joints as a consequence of aging. But quite often, the language used in medical reports betrays the often harmless meaning of the condition. Modern imaging like x-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasounds are all valuable for detecting a myriad of conditions from broken bones to life-threatening conditions like cancerous masses. ![]() VOMIT stands for, “Victims of Medical Imaging Technology”.
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