Should I have a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan for low back pain?

References

Citations

1. Jarvik JG, Deyo RA (2002). Diagnostic evaluation of low back pain with emphasis on imaging. Annals of Internal Medicine, 137(7): 586–597.

2. Carragee EJ, Hannibal M (2004). Diagnostic evaluation of low back pain. Orthopedic Clinics of North America, 35(2004): 7–16.

3. Jarvik JG, et al. (2003). Rapid magnetic resonance imaging vs. radiographs for patients with low back pain: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 289(21): 2810–2818.

4. Borenstein DG, et al. (2001). The value of magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine to predict low-back pain in asymptomatic subjects. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 83-A(9): 1306–1311.

Author:	Douglas Dana Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH	Last Updated: April 3, 2006
Medical Review:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Kathie Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD - Physical Therapy Robert B. Keller, MD - Orthopedics
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