Low back pain: imaging and alternative treatments

Low back pain: why waiting on imaging can be smarter

Did you know four out of five people will experience lower back pain in their lifetime? It’s one of the most common reasons for a physician visit.

Most people recover from low back pain within several weeks, whether they have imaging or not. We recommend delaying imaging for six weeks to give your body a chance to recover.

Rushing to get an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan is proven unnecessary. It does not increase recovery time, though it does increase medical costs. Despite this, when X-rays are readily accessible, some providers automatically send patients for X-ray.

Low Back Pain Healthwise, the Martin’s Point Health and Wellness platform, has education, information, and tools to help you make informed decisions about care, as well as to help you prevent and manage back pain.

Why wait?

Imaging is expensive and it can expose you to unnecessary radiation. Imaging can also identify abnormalities that may have been present all along and are not the cause of your pain, resulting in unnecessary surgery. People who undergo surgery put themselves at risk of complications like infections and can have similar outcomes compared to those who took conservative measures.

Examples of conservative treatment

• Heat or ice packs
• Exercise like walking and gentle stretching
• Medications
• Acupuncture
• Physical therapy
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

When to consider imaging sooner

In some situations, it might be appropriate to have imaging done sooner than six weeks. Symptoms that could influence your health care provider to order imaging sooner include:

• Unexplained weight loss
• Fever over 102°F
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Loss of feeling or strength in your legs
• Problems with reflexes
• A history of cancer

If you experience low back pain, speak to your health care provider about treatment, and understand why your provider might not suggest or recommend imaging.