MRIs Are Bad For Your Back

If you've ever thrown your back out and immediately wondered if you need an MRI — this one's for you. This week, Justin makes a case that sounds crazy until it doesn't: getting imaging for back pain, especially in the first six weeks, actually leads to WORSE outcomes than not getting it.Studies show that early imaging correlates with longer, more invasive treatments, higher reported pain scores, and no meaningful clinical benefit over conservative careThe false positive problem is massive — disc degeneration shows up in more than half of asymptomatic 30-year-olds, and disc bulges in nearly 40%; finding something on a scan doesn't mean that thing is causing your painGetting a diagnosis can be its own harm: people tend to take on the identity of their imaging results, which drives fear, inactivity, and a cascade of increasingly aggressive interventionsMost non-specific low back pain resolves on its own within six weeks with conservative care — which is exactly what will be prescribed regardless of what the imaging showsMore information isn't always better. Sometimes the scan is the thing that slows you down. Strong takes held loosely.