The perils of over-imaging your spine: when do you really need an X-Ray, CT scan or MRI?
Medical experts advise against routine imaging like MRIs or CT scans for simple back pain, noting that such tests often reveal age-related changes that are not the cause of pain. Over-imaging can lead to unnecessary anxiety and costs without improving patient outcomes.
Why it matters
It promotes evidence-based medicine and helps patients avoid unnecessary medical procedures and associated costs.
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.
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