CDA Spine

06/19/2026

Correlation Before Intervention

The complication rate of the wrong diagnosis is 100%.

In spine surgery, the MRI is not the diagnosis. The diagnosis is the correlation of the patient’s symptoms, physical examination, imaging findings, and, when necessary, functional confirmation.

Today at the Mazama Spine Summit, I’ll be discussing lumbar motion preservation, diagnostic precision, and why treating the patient, not the MRI, remains the foundation of good spine care.

Every operation is a diagnosis first.

“The mind that diagnoses you, and the hands that heal you.”

06/08/2026

Getting your surgery approved isn’t about finding the right MRI. It’s about proving the right diagnosis.

Insurance companies are looking for a clear story:
✅ Symptoms that fit the diagnosis
✅ Physical exam findings that support it
✅ Imaging that correlates
✅ Appropriate conservative treatment
✅ Documentation showing why surgery is medically necessary

The complication rate of the wrong diagnosis is 100%.

At CDA Spine, we focus on correlation before intervention, because the best surgery is the one performed on the right patient, for the right reason, at the right level.

Treat the patient, not the MRI.

“The mind that diagnoses you, and the hands that heal you”

05/29/2026

Insurance said NO.

That isn’t always the final answer.

Insurance denial does not always mean the treatment is unnecessary.

Every week, we help patients navigate denials, prior authorizations, peer-to-peer reviews, and appeals. Sometimes the challenge isn’t determining the right treatment, it’s helping patients gain access to it.

My job is not simply to perform surgery. My job is to make the right diagnosis, recommend the right treatment, and advocate for my patients when barriers stand in the way.

The right operation starts with the right diagnosis. And sometimes the next step is making sure the patient can actually receive the care they need.

If you’ve been told “no,” it may be worth a second opinion.

📍 CDA Spine
📞 (208) 765-9100
🌐 http://cdaspine.com

05/29/2026

Two days until

Clay has done the work. The miles are in the bank. At this point, fitness is built, preparation is done, and the focus shifts to staying calm, staying healthy, and enjoying the experience.

My role this week is simple: support crew, driver, mechanic, nutrition assistant, and occasional comic relief.

Looking forward to watching him take on one of the toughest gravel races in the world.

05/09/2026

Part 2- “When the MRI agrees… but insurance doesn’t.”

Sometimes the diagnosis is clear.
The symptoms match.
The imaging correlates.
Conservative care has failed.

…and the surgery is still denied.

Patients are often surprised to learn that medical necessity and insurance authorization are not always the same conversation.

At CDA Spine, we believe good spine care starts with careful evaluation, clinical correlation, and judgment.

Not every patient needs surgery.
But every patient deserves thoughtful, individualized assessment.

Motion matters.
Judgment matters more.

“The mind that diagnoses you and the hands that heal you.”

Questions about your diagnosis or prior denial - Visit the link in bio.

Dr. Larson

ArtificialDiscReplacement ADR BackPain NeckPain SpineSpecialist MotionPreservation

05/09/2026

Part 1- “When the MRI agrees… but insurance doesn’t.”

Sometimes the diagnosis is clear.
The symptoms match.
The imaging correlates.
Conservative care has failed.

…and the surgery is still denied.

Patients are often surprised to learn that medical necessity and insurance authorization are not always the same conversation.

At CDA Spine, we believe good spine care starts with careful evaluation, clinical correlation, and judgment.

Not every patient needs surgery.
But every patient deserves thoughtful, individualized assessment.

Motion matters.
Judgment matters more.

“The mind that diagnoses you and the hands that heal you.”

Questions about your diagnosis or prior denial - Visit the link in bio.

Dr. Larson

ArtificialDiscReplacement ADR BackPain NeckPain SpineSpecialist MotionPreservation

04/29/2026

Your MRI isn’t your diagnosis.

Correlation is.

Symptoms + exam + imaging + injections → answers.

That’s how you find the right operation.
Or avoid the wrong one.

“The mind that diagnoses you, and the hands that heal you”

📍CDA Spine
🔗 Link in bio

04/21/2026

Your MRI is not your diagnosis.

I see this every day -
People treated based on what a scan looks like, not what they actually feel.

Bulges. Degeneration. “Abnormalities.”
Most of these exist in people with zero pain.

What matters is correlation:
👉 Symptoms
👉 Exam
👉 Imaging

When those line up, treatment works.
When they don’t, people undergo procedures they never needed.

This is where judgment matters.

Treat the patient. Not the MRI.

If you’ve been told you need spine surgery and it doesn’t feel right - get a second opinion.

📍 CDA Spine - Dr. Larson
🔗 Link in bio

“The mind that diagnoses you, and the hands that heal you.”

CdaSpine BackPain Neurosurgery MedicalMyths PatientFirst

04/09/2026

Not every disc needs the same answer.

This case:
Regenerative medicine helped at L5/S1.
But L4/5 was a different problem, and required a targeted discectomy.

Now we’re evaluating for artificial disc replacement.

Same spine. Different levels. Different solutions.

The point isn’t the procedure, it’s the diagnosis.
Knowing what you’re treating… and when to use each tool.

There’s a difference between offering a treatment…
and knowing when it’s actually the right one.

“The mind that diagnoses you, and the hands that heal you.”

SecondOpinion SpineCare CdaSpine

04/04/2026