What types of diagnostic tests and other treatments could my doctor recommend?

Posted in: Assessment    Keywords: ,


For most people with low back pain, a medical history, physical examination, and neurological examination are much more useful than diagnostic imaging. Your doctors likely won’t order diagnostic imaging unless you have one or several red flags or they believe you may have a rare but specific cause for your low back pain. This is because diagnostic imaging provides little information that can help with your treatment. X-ray and MRI images often reveal physical minor variations in the spine but those variations usually have nothing to do with low back pain.

Images alone still won’t identify the cause of the pain. However, your doctor might be able to use them together with other information about you to select another type of treatment to help you deal with the pain. If your low back pain does not improve, is getting worse or is accompanied by severe leg pain or weakness, your doctor may decide to order diagnostic imaging.

 
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