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Routine imaging for uncomplicated low back pain, especially in the absence of any warning signs of a serious underlying condition is not recommended by international guidelines. Image used for representational purposes only
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Back pain has a habit of making us fear the worst. An abrupt spasm after hoisting something heavy, pain radiating down the leg or an ache that won’t go away can lead quickly to one question: should I get an MRI?
In reality, most cases of acute low back pain get better without an MRI, a CT scan or even an X-ray. Routine imaging for uncomplicated low back pain, especially in the absence of any warning signs of a serious underlying condition is not recommended by international guidelines.
An MRI is a great diagnostic tool, but more imaging isn’t necessarily better care. Spine scans can show us age-related changes such as disc bulges, disc degeneration and arthritic changes that may have nothing to do with the pain that a person is experiencing.
Sometimes these incidental findings can cause unnecessary anxiety in patients who may believe that their spine is ‘damaged’ when in fact, the finding may simply be a normal part of ageing. Imaging that does not change treatment can therefore add cost, worry and sometimes unnecessary interventions.
