A recent research study published in the October, 2009 issue of Health Affairs concluded that people with low back pain, that live in more densely populated areas (cities over rural areas), are more likely to have an MRI and are also more likely to have back surgery.
Curiously enough, a major factor that determines whether an MRI test will be ordered for non-specific low back pain (NOTE: non-specific low back pain is pain only in the back that may or may not radiate down into the buttock and/or thigh but not below the knee), is access or availability.
Furthermore, if you have an MRI for your non-specific low back pain, there is a greater chance that you will have low back surgery. At first glance, it may seem to make sense but here's the problem:
For non-specific low back pain, MRI very, very rarely provides any information that could help your doctor decide if you are appropriate for surgery. In other words, MRIs just aren't the right test to order for non-specific low back pain. In most cases, they don't provide useful information.
Take home message is that if you have non-specific low back pain, more often than not, an MRI and surgery is unnecessary.
A trip to a physical therapist is usually most appropriate for non-specific low back pain. Clinical studies on acute low back pain treatment conclude that proper hands-on care can help you feel better faster.
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