Back pain, whether it has come on suddenly or gradually, can be extremely painful and for many of us is unfamiliar, which can be worrying.
Many people feel getting a scan of your back, particularly during a flare up may help to diagnose the issue and inform treatment.
However, several studies have found that routine scans for back pain, may actually cause more harm that good, and hinder recovery. We now know that a large percentage of the population may show some evidence of disc protrusions or ‘wear and tear’ type changes in the spine on a scan, despite having NO symptoms. These changes are normal and often cause no issues at all, in a similar way to having grey hairs appear as we age.
Therefore, if we do have back pain, it is difficult to know which changes visible on the scan (if any) are driving the back pain as these may have been present before the onset of pain, which can lead to unnecessary treatments such as injections or surgery. Although unpleasant, the majority of back pain is not caused by a serious injury or pathology.
Most back pain will improve significantly within 6 weeks or less and evidence shows that obtaining a scan often doesn’t improve outcomes, may delay return to work and can increase worry or concern.
Very rarely (less than 1% of all lower back pain cases), symptoms are caused by something more serious. Usually pain would be accompanied by other symptoms which will be picked up by your doctor or physiotherapist who will be able to recommend when a scan is appropriate, and even in these cases, a serious pathology is unlikely.
If you have been struggling with any type of back pain and would like an assessment, please get in touch to book an appointment.
* Please note if you experience the following symptoms in relation to back pain, seek urgent medical attention*
- Weakness or numbness that is severe or getting worse
- Numbness around your genitals
- Difficulty urinating or incontinence that is not normal for you