Think Twice About These Routine Medical Tests Part 5 Lower Back Pain Tests

We continue our series on 10 Medical Tests to Avoid with a look at commonly used tests for lower back pain. According to this AARP article, doctors warn that some routine medical tests may do more harm than good as well as waste billions of dollars in health care costs annually. Overuse of some tests can lead to dangerous side effects, pain, radiation exposure, unnecessary surgery and even death.

X-Ray, CT Scan or MRI for Lower Back Pain – While many people suffer back pain at some point in their lives, even the best imaging machines cannot always detect what’s going on. Often, imaging tests lead to expensive procedures that don’t aid recovery. One study found people who got an MRI during the first month of their back pain were eight times more likely to have surgery than those who didn’t have an MRI (and they did not get relief any faster). Experts say most back pain goes away in about one month’s time. They recommend waiting a month, then talking with your doctor about options like physical therapy, yoga or massage.

If you have questions and concerns about medical tests and procedures you or a loved one has been instructed to have, you need to discuss your case with an experienced personal injury attorney. Our team at Dixon Law Office has represented hundreds of injury victims, and we’ve helped them get the compensation the law says they deserve. Contact us today at (888) 354-9880 or click here for a free consultation.