It seems like every time I watch the news concerning healthy living updates I hear the acronym MRI. It’s treated in people’s mind like it’s an X-ray, but it really is something completely different. People with back pain often get an MRI when the doctor is trying to figure out what’s causing the problem. An MRI shows a lot more than an X-ray.

MRI actually stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It uses radio waves and a magnetic field to create a clear picture of your spine. Some people don’t like to get an MRI, because you have to lie still in a long tube that’s open at both ends. It can be hard to handle if you have any claustrophobia. The newer machines are now made with some added features such as music intended to be distracting. The MRI can be a real important test when trying to diagnose the source of back pain. If the doctor wants you to have one, you should agree because it gives a lot more information about soft tissue which doesn’t show up on X-rays.