#Herniated disk xray full#

Meaning, if you hurt your back, prognosis is good! One study showed that without surgery, pain improved in 87% of people within 3 months (and that’s without PT).ģ6% of patients report an improvement in symptoms within 2 weeks, and that only gets better as time goes on. The natural history of a lumbar herniated disc is favorable. Get some guidance on conservative treatment that includes a more active approach for best outcomes early on. The best thing to do when you hurt your back is to try and keep moving. Therefore, there’s a risk of misleading MRI findings, which can lead to a cascade of overmedicalization and chronic pain. Disc herniation is common among asymptomatic people (about 60% of people over 50). A Physical Therapist will be able to assess the situation and refer you to the appropriate medical professional in the rare case that it’s truly necessary.Ĭurrent practice guidelines do not recommend the routine use of MRI. So, if you hurt your back, there’s rarely a need to run and get imaging. MRI isn’t recommended until a patient hasn’t made improvements after 4-6 weeks of conservative treatment, or if the patient is showing severe neurological deficits (meaning you can’t pick up your foot, trip when walking, losing sensation in the groin area, etc). Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean it’s relevant to what you’re feeling. But, remember what we said above about incidental findings. Don’t panic if your doc says you have degenerative disc disease (I hate that name – it should be renamed “normal age related changes”). X-ray does not show a herniated disc, and clinical guidelines say that x-rays for acute back pain is only recommended for patients who have history of systemic disease, like cancer, or a history of using injected or oral steroids.īy the way, your x-ray might show arthritis or something called “degenerative disc disease.” This is just evidence that you are a human being who has been alive for 25 years+. Here are some quick facts regarding imaging of the lower back. Believe it or not, in most cases, imaging is actually not helpful in determining the cause of the pain, or even guiding what the treatment should be. Your instinct may be to think you need an x-ray or MRI to show you what’s wrong. If you’ve ever “thrown out your back,” you know the pain can be pretty significant at first. Do I Need an X-ray or MRI After I Hurt My Back? MRI commonly shows disc herniations in asymptomatic individuals, and the prevalence of a disk herniation finding actually increases with age. The finding of a herniated disc on MRI can be totally incidental, meaning it’s actually not the cause of pain. J ust because there is a herniated disk, does not mean there will be pain. While what I just described sounds pretty scary, it’s actually quite common in people who have no pain at all. A herniated disc is the cause of 85% of cases of sciatica. This disk material can come in contact with a nerve root, which can cause pain down the leg. They function to create a joint between each vertebrae, act a shock absorber, and help with allowing movement through the spine.Ī herniated disc refers to the displacement of disc material outside of the normal margins of the disk space. Intervertebral discs are thick, fibrous, and sturdy, and sit between each vertebrae (bone) throughout the spine. Here’s what you should know about the infamous herniated disc. And, while a herniated disc could certainly be the diagnosis, I’m writing to tell you that this issue is very common and it can improve.

#Herniated disk xray full#

So, now what? Get an x-ray or MRI? Make an appointment with your primary care doctor? This blog will tell you why running to get imaging may not be necessary, why staying active is key, and why your chances of making a full recovery are good.

Here’s one more interesting stat – 10% of the population is experiencing low back pain right now as you read this blog!

If any of these things have happened to you, you’re not alone! Two out of every three adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives, with some studies even bringing this number up to 80% of adults having experienced back pain.