Will an MRI Make Back Pain Better or Worse?
Oct 02, 2018
It depends. In fact only 5% of people with back pain need an MRI or CT to investigate a serious problem. Flip that, and we know 95% of people with back pain don’t benefit from images. So what’s the harm in checking? You may be surprised by the answer.
We’ve all said it, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and in most cases, I agree. Our minds can conjure up entire novels from one photo. Art can inspire generations to think and feel and do amazing things. Shouldn’t a high tech picture of our spine speak volumes about back pain? Time and again, science and experience tell us the answer is no.
It makes sense that if we have back pain and the technology is available, we want to see what’s going on inside. The temptation is strong for many practitioners and patients alike. Let’s get...
