The Spinal Truth

You just got your MRI results, and now you're seeing terms like degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, disc herniation, and bone spurs. It sounds serious. But does it actually explain your pain?

The truth is, many of these MRI findings are also found in people who have no pain or symptoms whatsoever.

In Episode 118 of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down 7 common spinal MRI findings, what they mean, why they're so common as we age, and why an abnormal MRI doesn't automatically mean you need injections or surgery.

In this episode, we cover:

1. Degenerative Disc Disease

2. Spinal Stenosis

3. Disc Herniations

4. Spondylosis

5. Bone Spurs (Osteophytes)

6. Foraminal and Central Canal Stenosis

7. Disc Bulges

We also discuss spondylolisthesis, why imaging findings don't always match your symptoms, and why understanding how your spine moves can be an important part of determining the right treatment.

Dr. Slater explains his approach to evaluating patients: looking at symptoms, movement, and response to treatment rather than relying on MRI findings alone.

FREE GUIDE: 7 SCARY THINGS ON YOUR MRI

What They Mean and Why You Can Still Get Better.

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An MRI finding alone doesn't establish the cause of pain. Some findings do require prompt medical attention, particularly when accompanied by progressive weakness, walking difficulties, or new bowel or bladder dysfunction. Sudden bladder or bowel changes or saddle numbness require emergency assessment.

#MRIResults #SpinalStenosis #HerniatedDisc #BackPain #TheSpinalTruth

You've been going to physical therapy for weeks or months, but your pain keeps coming back. You're doing the exercises, attending appointments, and spending your time and money. So why aren't you getting better?

Physical therapy is supposed to help you recover. But what happens when the treatment itself isn't addressing the problem?

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater, a physical therapist with 18 years of experience and multiple advanced orthopedic certifications, breaks down 7 reasons physical therapy may not be working for you.

Drawing from his professional experience and his own history of chronic pain, Dr. Slater explains the limitations he sees in traditional physical therapy and what he believes needs to change.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Why temporary symptom relief isn't the same as lasting improvement.

2. Why doing more exercises doesn't necessarily mean better treatment.

3. Why your physical therapist's specialization matters.

4. How the thoracic spine can be overlooked during neck treatment.

5. Why the location of your pain doesn't always reveal its source.

6. Why mobility needs to be accompanied by progressive strengthening.

7. Why choosing the right physical therapist can make a difference.

We also discuss common PT treatments, including massage, dry needling, traction, TENS, stretching, and generic exercise programs.

The goal isn't to convince you that physical therapy doesn't work. It's to help you recognize when your treatment isn't progressing and understand what effective rehabilitation should look like.

📘 FREE GUIDE: 7 Reasons Physical Therapy Failed You

Discover the common limitations of traditional PT and what to look for in a more targeted approach to treatment.

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#PhysicalTherapy #ChronicPain #BackPain #NeckPain #TheSpinalTruth

You've been told you have carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, rotator cuff problems, or a shoulder injury. But what if the pain you're feeling in your arm is actually coming from your neck?

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater explains why arm symptoms can sometimes originate in the cervical spine, even when you have no neck pain.

We break down 8 signs that your neck may be contributing to your arm symptoms, including:

1. Pain or symptoms on both sides

2. Symptoms that occur at rest

3. Pain that comes and goes

4. Symptoms that switch sides

5. Pain involving more than one joint

6. Numbness and tingling

7. Symptoms that haven't responded to typical treatments

8. A history of neck problems

We also discuss why MRI findings don't always explain your pain, how to distinguish local arm problems from possible nerve-related symptoms, and why testing, treating, and retesting movement can provide useful information.

If you've tried physical therapy, injections, medications, or other treatments without lasting improvement, it may be time to reassess what's driving your symptoms.

FREE GUIDE: Could Your Arm Pain Be Coming From Your Neck?

Comment ARM on our social media posts to receive our free guide, including information about symptoms to watch for and a neck movement screening demonstration.

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Arm pain, numbness, and tingling can have several causes, including problems in the neck and conditions affecting nerves or tissues in the arm itself. These signs are clues, not a diagnosis. Persistent or worsening symptoms, particularly progressive weakness, deserve medical evaluation.

#ArmPain #NeckPain #CarpalTunnel #TheSpinalTruth

For two years, Hannah struggled with debilitating dizziness, headaches, weakness, anxiety, breathing difficulties, and symptoms that made everyday life nearly impossible.

After giving birth to her second child, this former college athlete and physical therapist found herself searching for answers. She underwent numerous medical evaluations, received several possible diagnoses, and was eventually diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome).

At her first consultation with Dr. Caleb Slater, she couldn't even sit upright for 30 minutes without needing to lie down.

Three and a half months later, her life looked dramatically different.

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Hannah and her husband share their experience navigating the medical system, the treatments they tried, and how a different approach focused on spinal movement and rehabilitation became part of her recovery.

We discuss:

• The unusual symptoms that began after childbirth

• Her POTS diagnosis and the search for answers

• Why previous treatments weren't providing lasting improvement

• The role of the neck and thoracic spine in Dr. Slater's assessment

• How Hannah approached movement, exercise, and rebuilding strength

• The physical and emotional challenges of living with unexplained symptoms

• What changed during three months of treatment

If you've been struggling with symptoms that don't seem to fit together, this conversation offers a different perspective on the importance of a thorough evaluation and finding treatment that produces meaningful improvement.

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Are you being told that spinal fusion surgery is your next step? Before making that decision, there are some important things you need to understand.

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater discusses when he would consider spinal fusion, discectomy, or other orthopedic surgeries, and when he believes a different treatment approach may be worth exploring first.

Not all pain is the same, and not every spinal condition requires surgery. Understanding the difference between pain, tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness can help you recognize when symptoms may indicate a more serious neurological problem.

In this episode, we discuss:

• When spinal fusion surgery may be necessary

• Why pain alone doesn't always mean surgery is the best option

• The difference between pain, numbness, tingling, and significant muscle weakness

• Foot drop and other neurological warning signs

• Why some patients continue experiencing pain after spinal fusion

• When injections or less invasive procedures may be considered

• Why shoulder pain and hand symptoms sometimes originate in the cervical spine

• Why MRI findings don't always explain your symptoms

• The importance of evaluating movement and strength before deciding on treatment

Dr. Slater also explains his approach to treating persistent neck and back pain, particularly in patients who have already tried physical therapy without lasting improvement.

Considering surgery or struggling with persistent pain?

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You tried physical therapy. You did the exercises, stretched, strengthened your core, and maybe even tried injections, massage, dry needling, or traction. But your neck or back pain is still there.

What if your treatment never addressed one of the most important things: actually moving and strengthening your spine through its range of motion?

In this episode of The Spinal Truth, Dr. Caleb Slater challenges the idea that movement-based treatment is nothing new. He breaks down why many common treatments for chronic back pain, sciatica, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and herniated discs may not adequately address spinal mobility or strength.

We discuss:

• Why core stabilization isn't the same as moving your spine through its full range of motion.

• The difference between passive treatments and active movement.

• Why stretching, massage, TENS, dry needling, and traction may not address all aspects of a spinal problem.

• Why being active or exercising doesn't necessarily mean you're restoring spinal mobility.

• How MRI findings can complicate identifying the source of pain.

• Why Dr. Slater emphasizes progressive spinal movement, strength, and reassessment.

Dr. Slater also explains how his own treatment philosophy evolved after years of using more traditional physical therapy approaches.

If you've tried PT and you're still dealing with chronic neck or back pain, this episode offers a different perspective on what may be missing from your treatment.

Learn more, explore our self-guided recovery programs, or schedule a consultation with Dr. Caleb Slater at: https://thespinaltruth.com

Who should you actually trust when you're looking for answers about chronic neck or back pain?

In this episode of The Spinal Truth, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down a growing problem in healthcare and social media: clinicians and influencers promoting products that may temporarily mask symptoms without addressing why you're hurting in the first place.

We talk about Icy Hot, topical pain relievers, TENS, massage, dry needling, chiropractic care, and other common treatments, and why temporary relief shouldn't automatically be confused with effective treatment.

More importantly, Dr. Slater explains the red flags he looks for when choosing a physical therapist, why he often prefers certified McKenzie (MDT) clinicians, how quickly you should expect to see meaningful improvement, and when it may be time to question whether your current treatment is actually working.

If you've tried physical therapy, chiropractic care, injections, medications, or other treatments and you're still hurting, this episode will help you ask better questions about what comes next.

Learn more, schedule a consultation, or explore The Spinal Truth programs at TheSpinalTruth.com.

Nerve ablation can reduce pain by destroying part of the sensory nerve carrying the pain signal. But does that actually fix the problem causing your pain?

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down what nerve ablation actually does, why the relief may only be temporary, and what can happen when the underlying issue is still there even though you can no longer feel it.

We discuss radiofrequency nerve ablation, chronic back and neck pain, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, pain management, injections, spinal fusion, nerve regeneration, numbness, weakness, and why Dr. Slater believes many patients reach ablation only after years of ineffective treatment.

We also talk about when nerve ablation may actually make sense, why removing pain can make rehabilitation more difficult, and what patients should understand before deciding to have the procedure.

If you are considering nerve ablation, have already had one, or are stuck in a cycle of injections, procedures, and temporary pain relief, this episode gives you a very different perspective.

If you've been doing physical therapy, stretching, core exercises, chiropractic adjustments, injections, massage, or other treatments for low back pain—and it keeps coming back—this episode may explain why.

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater breaks down some of the most common approaches used to treat back pain and explains why many of them may be targeting everything except the back itself.

We discuss clamshells, planks, bird dogs, dead bugs, glute strengthening, stretching, chiropractic adjustments, MRI findings, degenerative disc disease, and the idea that your spine should be protected instead of moved.

Dr. Slater also explains why temporary pain relief is not the same thing as actually improving the underlying problem, why many people lose spinal motion without realizing it, and why strengthening your spine through movement may be an important missing piece.

If you've tried everything for chronic low back pain and still aren't getting lasting relief, this episode offers a very different way of looking at the problem.

What if the headache you keep treating isn't really a "head problem" at all?

In this episode of The Spinal Truth Show, Dr. Caleb Slater explains how chronic headaches and migraines can sometimes be driven by problems in the neck, upper back, nerves, and surrounding musculature.

We break down different headache patterns, why pain behind the eyes can sometimes originate near the upper cervical spine, how posture and screen time may contribute, and why medications, Botox, massage, adjustments, and other passive treatments may provide relief without addressing the underlying problem.

Dr. Slater also explains how he approaches chronic headaches differently—and why restoring movement, strength, and function may be the missing piece for people who have struggled for years.

If you deal with recurring headaches, migraines, neck stiffness, eye pain, facial pain, or headaches after sitting, driving, working at a computer, or looking down at your phone, this episode is for you.

Learn more about Dr. Slater's approach, courses, and consultations at The Spinal Truth.