Spinal ligament injuries are the number one cause of pain and disability in the world today. Patients can become involved in many different kinds of mechanisms capable of causing a spinal ligament injury, such as work related injuries, car collisions, sports collisions, slip and fall, domestic violence, war, to name a few. The video below takes one mechanism (Whiplash from Car Collisions) and shows the dismal statistics that result from patients being treated for these injuries. These unfortunately are the statistics of our doctors today. Why would these statistics be so bad when we are supposed to have the worlds best healthcare system? Perhaps the answer to this question is so simple that it has been overlooked. What is perhaps the most important question that most doctors that treat these spinal ligament injuries cannot answer? The answer when I share it will make it self evident why we today have such poor patient outcomes from such a simple injury. The most important question that the majority of doctors that treat these spinal injury patients simply cannot answer is: “where exactly is the spinal ligament injury and how bad is it”? If a doctor does not know the exact location and severity of a injury, how in the world can we expect the patient to have a optimal outcome with their treatment? This then becomes a very important question that any treating provider had ought to be able to answer right away! It is not enough today to simply say that the patient has injured their neck (#4 Cause of Disability Worldwide) or their lower back (#1 Cause of Disability Worldwide), or to simply say that they have sprained these areas. This tells us nothing as it is not specific enough. Todays doctors need to be able to tell us what spinal motion units are involved, and how bad is it? Today there are specialized radiologists that can help doctors to determine the severity and location of these spinal ligament injuries through the use of Computerized Radiographic Mensuration Analysis. I recently wrote an article on it called: Today’s Radiologists Can Help Doctors Accurately Determine the Severity of Spinal Ligament Injuries. Today no doctor should be treating these conditions without this type of information, as it puts the patient at risk for less than optimal recoveries and I believe it can put the doctor at risk for malpractice if the patient experiences an adverse response to their treatment. This is precisely why I developed a online education program that any doctor can take in order to become more competent with these kinds of injuries. This educational program can be found at www.smartinjuryeducation.com Patients deserve the best and that’s what we as their doctors need to bring to them.