This is a common question from many people attending our clinic. The answer is sometimes easy and sometimes not. What I mean by this is that an MRI will tell you the way how things look but not where the pain is. This graphic illustrates that with it is common to have disc bulges and other ‘abnormalities’ on your scan and as you get older they become more normal than abnormal.

So what does this mean?
It means that your MRI can add information when helping to diagnose your problem but does not always dictate whether you get better or not. The saying goes treat the person not the scan. Physiotherapists are highly skilled in interpreting the whole picture and helping you return to what you want to do.

Hopefully this gives you food for thought