Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning

After your physiotherapy assessment, the next step is an MRI scan to look for any internal injuries or conditions that may be causing your back pain.

An MRI scan is extremely useful in diagnosing problems with your spine and the muscle in your back. The MRI scan is taken using a large magnet and radio waves which are interpreted by a computer and displayed on a monitor as two and three dimentional pictures of the body's anatomy.

The process is non-invasive and non-radioactive, you simply lie still on a sliding platform that moves through a tube containing the magnets. Some BMI hospitals have open MRI scanners, which have more space between the magnets allowing you to lie on a table without passing through a tube.

The MRI scan should take 30 to 40 minutes. When it is complete a specially trained MRI radiologist will analyse the images and send a report to your consultant, who will discuss them with you later.

You will be given an MRI scan as part of your SpineCare assessment unless there is a specific reason why you should not. Reasons why you may not have an MRI scan include any metal objects within your body, such as a pacemaker or any metal clips, plates or pins. You will be asked to complete an MRI safety questionnaire to ensure that it is approprate for you to be scanned.