What type of imaging is recommended for low back pain?

Posted in: Education, Management    Keywords: , , , , ,

If you have Red flags or your doctors think you may have a rare but specific cause of low back pain, they may order imaging to help choose the best care. Otherwise, they probably won’t order imaging. You may be tempted to ask for X-rays or an MRI to try to “see” where the problem is, even if you don’t have Red flags. However, diagnostic imaging is rarely helpful in managing non-specific low back pain. X-ray and MRI images often reveal physical minor variations in the spine, but those variations usually have nothing to do with your low back pain. Studies show that the same variations occur just as often in healthy people who don’t have low back pain.

The pain you feel may come from any of the hundreds of structures in your low back. No matter where the pain comes from, the same approach to treatment is required in almost every case. Therefore, there really is no need to pinpoint the exact source of low back pain, because you will get the same initial treatments. For most people with low back pain, a focused medical history and physical exam are much more useful than imaging.

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. 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.

 
Corporate Office: 2732 Transit Rd. West Seneca, NY 14224 | Phone (716) 712-2700 or 1-888-266-9041 | FAX (716) 712-2308
© 2006 - 2012 Palladian Health.