New research suggests MRI's may be unnecessary for patients being treated for back pain.
Doctors often order an MRI before giving patients a steroid injection to help with back pain. But a study at Johns Hopkins University found that after three months, there was no difference between patients who got an injection based on MRI results, and those who got one based on a physical exam only.
Researchers say physicians can significantly reduce medical costs by eliminating many of these scans.
