JOSPT perspectives for patients. Low back pain: MRIs should be used sparingly in patients with low back pain.
editorial · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 22047999.
- Also identified by DOI 10.2519/jospt.2011.0507.
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Abstract
Low back pain is very common, with 80% of people experiencing back pain at least once in their lifetimes. The good news is that a thorough physical examination can often determine the best course of management and whether you require imaging to rule out a serious problem. Often low back pain can be severe enough to make a patient think that an MRI is necessary. While MRI provides excellent pictures of your anatomy, it may not be able to pinpoint the specific source of your pain. A clinical commentary published in the November 2011 issue of JOSPT summarizes research that describes how the increased use of unnecessary imaging may lead to less than favorable results.
Medical subject headings
- Low Back Pain
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Patient Care
- Physical Therapy Specialty
- Practice Patterns, Physicians'