An MRI will not show muscle strains or other problems with soft tissues. The pain usually will go away on its own, although it may take several months. An MRI won't change your treatment plan. An MRI is expensive.
An MRI is the best type of imaging for looking at tissue. Your physician may order an MRI on the damaged muscle to find or learn more about your injury. This type of muscle tear imaging can pinpoint the location of even the smallest muscle strains and determine whether a partial or complete strain has occurred.
An MRI scan creates detailed pictures of your spine. It can pick up most injuries that you have had in your spine or changes that happen with aging. Even small problems or changes that are not the cause of your current back pain are picked up. These findings rarely change how your provider first treats you.
Numerous clinical studies have shown that approximately 30% of individuals in their thirties and forties have a lumbar disc herniation on their MRI scan, although they do not have any back pain. Therefore, an MRI scan cannot be interpreted on its own.
If none are seen, the cause of the patient's pain is most likely muscle strain, herniated disc, or degenerative disc disease, a term that describes the signs of wear and tear on the spinal discs as they age, says Wetzel, who is chief of orthopedics at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, New York.
Furthermore, MRI can also detect subclinical muscle inflammation such as in amyopathic DM (34), in which up to 100% of patients have muscle inflammation on WB MRI, or in amyopathic ASyS patients where muscular inflammation is frequently observed (28).
Trigger points do not show up on X-ray, CT, or MRI. They can't be detected with a blood test. Trigger points are diagnosed by feeling for them.
MRI for Back Pain. Like x-rays, CT scans are usually quicker than MRIs. CT scans are the preferred tool for diagnosing severe injuries that need immediate attention, and they are also helpful in locating tumors. Typically, CT scans are better at scanning bone images than MRIs.
MRIs are able to provide in-depth information on not only the spinal cord but individual nerves as well. There is a good chance that an MRI should be able to detect a pinched nerve. This can confirm the suspicions of a doctor.
An MRI of the lumbar spine will show many causes of low back pain and sciatica, including disc herniations, facet arthritis, and lumbar spinal stenosis. Digital x-rays and CT scans may also be used to diagnose the cause of sciatica.
MRI is the most effective way to diagnose problems within any joint and the image sensitivity makes it the most accurate imaging tool available in detecting arthritis and other inflammatory changes. MRI is also a key diagnostic tool when patients have lower back pain, radiating pain or hip/groin pain.
Reasons Why Back Pain Can Be Difficult to Diagnose. First of all, our spines are very complex and made up of many different components. Our spine is made up of bones, ligaments, discs, and nerves. Due to all these parts, pinpointing the exact reason and source of pain can be challenging.
CT scan – where a series of X-rays are taken to create a detailed image of the inside of your body, which will reveal any muscle damage.
An MRI is best used when your doctor suspects a specific problem—something other than the muscle strain that causes most low back pain. An MRI usually isn't done when simple muscle strain is suspected, because: An MRI will not show muscle strains or other problems with soft tissues.
A CT scan shows muscle damage and bone abnormalities. You can get a muscle or bone CT scan on any area of your body. Your doctor may request you to get a CT scan with or without an iodine-based contrast.
“Red flags” include pain that lasts more than 6 weeks; pain in persons younger than 18 years or older than 50 years; pain that radiates below the knee; a history of major trauma; constitutional symptoms; atypical pain (eg, that which occurs at night or that is unrelenting); the presence of a severe or rapidly ...
As with MRI, CAT scans help diagnose problems with the spinal canal and the surrounding tissues. Electrophysiological tests, such as an electromyography or EMG, which helps measure the electrical activity in muscle. This test helps doctors check for problems with the muscles and nerves.
Diagnosis. The doctor needs to decide if the pain comes from bones, muscles, nerves or an organ. The doctor will take a careful history and perform a physical examination. Imaging procedures to help identify where the pain is coming from include X-rays, bone scans, CT scan and MRI.
MRI scans use radio waves to produce images of soft tissue like muscles and ligaments, in addition to bones. Because of this, it's possible for an MRI to show nerve damage as well as other issues that might be causing pain in your body.
Thus, MRI may be a valuable tool to complement the history and physical examination in diagnosing muscle spasm.
The magnetic fields that change with time create loud knocking noises which may harm hearing if adequate ear protection is not used. They may also cause peripheral muscle or nerve stimulation that may feel like a twitching sensation. The radiofrequency energy used during the MRI scan could lead to heating of the body.
Pain that gets worse when you move, especially when bending or stretching. Difficulty standing up straight. Swelling or bruising in a specific area.
The Difference Between Muscle and Disc Pain
Muscle pain will feel like post-workout soreness, while disc pain will feel debilitating and tingly. It is helpful to know the difference before you see your doctor so you can accurately describe the pain to them.
A common cause of back pain is an injury like a pulled muscle (strain). Sometimes, medical conditions like a slipped disc, sciatica (a trapped nerve) or ankylosing spondylitis can cause back pain. Very rarely, back pain can be a sign of a serious problem such as a broken bone, cancer or an infection.