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Here is a look at our final back pain myth... Myth #10: An MRI always gives us the answer for the cause of pain.

There’s a myth that an MRI is always going to show where pain is coming from. The reason it’s a myth is because an MRI is really just a picture. An MRI shows anatomy and may show some abnormalities. But MRIs do not tell us how nerves are working and may not necessarily show us where the pain is coming from. In order to come up with a diagnosis, we take MRI findings and couple them with physical complaints and any physical findings.

Sometimes we use MRIs as an educational tool to reassure patients that there isn’t anything serious going on. In some very rare cases, the MRI is able to pick up things that are more urgent and need to be addressed immediately.

Watch Dr. Raub's video series on the '10 most common back pain myths' on VSO's YouTube channel.

Myth 10: MRIs always give us the answer for the cause of my pain