There is a common belief amongst patients, and unfortunately many uninformed health professionals, that MRIs and other radiological tests will show the cause of a person’s pain. The “abnormality” found on a scan can then be injected, removed, operated on, etc., and the problem will be solved. In reality, things are not that easy or clear cut however.
In the presence of serious or sinister (cancer, tumours) symptoms, MRIs and other radiological tests are an invaluable tool to help make a fast and accurate diagnosis and guide treatment for optimal outcome. Without these signs and symptoms though, these scans can lead to misdiagnosis or over-diagnosis and lead to getting the wrong treatment, unneccessary procedures and even unnecessary surgeries. Yes, unfortunately we do see these sort of things happen!
Scans do not show the cause of pain, even if they do show “abnormalities”. Studies have shown that abnormalities can exist in the absence of pain or any other symptoms. These abnormal findings on scans can be purely incidental and harmless and have absolutely nothing to do with the actual problem.
Scans can be very helpful, but only in the hands of a skilled clinician who has first conducted a thorough examination and can use the scan results to confirm the clinical picture. A scan finding is only one small piece of the puzzle, not the entire answer to the puzzle. Taking findings from a scan and simply making them fit the clinical picture will only cause harm.
Also, some other things to take into consideration- if you do get a referral for a scan- where you go, the model of the machine, and the skill of the radiographer taking the scan and the radiologist reporting the findings all do really matter! So it pays to have a knowledgeable, experienced, and caring team around you. Health matters!
Tags: Physiotherapy, physiotherapist melbourne, physio doncaster, MRI, scans, radiologist, health tips.
