Diagnostic Tests For Low Back Pain

[EricS]

In course of diagnosis of your back pain condition, your doctor may prescribe one or more diagnostic tests in addition to physical examination, noting your symptoms and history of discomfort. Here are some of them.

X-ray images allow the doctor to see the structure of joints in the spine. An X-ray may also give tell-tale signs of any lump, breakage or infection in the spine.

A CT scan creates images when a computer analyses x-ray images to show the shape and size of the spinal canal and adjacent structures.

MRI or Magnetic resonance Imaging generates 3D images to show the spinal cord, nerve roots, and any degeneration, tumor or abnormalities in adjoining areas.

Myelograms are done to diagnose pressure on the spinal cord and nerves due to disc herniation by taking an x-ray of the spinal canal after a radio-opaque dye is injected into the cerebrospinal fluid.

Electromyelograms and Nerve Conduction Studies assess the electrical impulse along nerves to find out the status of any nerve compression or damage.

These diagnostic tests help the doctor in choosing the right course of intervention according to your condition.

[Craftweb]

Diagnostic tests in general are indicated if the test will help guide specific patient management strategies and improve patient outcomes. Diagnostic testing performed without clear indication, in a population with low pre-test probability of the condition being tested for, can lead to a cascade of unnecessary further testing to evaluate false positive results, unnecessary interventions, and lead to avoidable patient anxiety and medical expense.

[Leeann]

It would seem pretty improbable that testing would even be done without clear indication or pre-test probability of some condition. I can't see that happening as you're talking about very expensive tests, such as Myelograms, MRI's, CT scans, X-rays, etc. The technician would not perform such tests without PROBABLE condition. A diagnosis has to be given before such tests are performed. While some doctors admittedly want to get rich, I don't think they order needless tests.