What diagnostics can and cannot tell you
Diagnostic "pictures" have importance only in the context of your current clinical complaints. Any number of abnormalities may appear on the X-rays or MRI, but these results may be of little consequence in explaining and treating the problem that prompted a visit to a new doctor.
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I repeat this scenario with patients again and again, and it serves to shed light on both the advantages and disadvantages of rapid advancements in medical technology. We now have the ability to look inside the human body and obtain highly detailed images without exposing people to radiation. The MRI scanner uses large magnets and radio waves and presents visual images of the structures in the spine that were difficult to see with older, radiation-based technology. The computed axial tomography scan (CT) uses X-rays (radiation) to identify structures in and around the spine. We can put multiple CT pictures together to achieve a three-dimensional view of the spine. |