Skip to Main Content
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Search

  • Admissions
  • Education
  • Research
  • Emergency & Reporting
Search
  • Current Students
  • Faculty
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Parents
  • Donors
  • About
    • Frontline Medicine
    • By The Numbers
    • Strategic Plan
    • Organizational Chart
    • BUMC HR Resources
    • History
    • Clinical Affiliations
    • Basic Science & Clinical Departments
    • Faculty Directory
    • Alumni Medical Library
  • Education
    • PhD Education
    • MD Education
    • Master’s Degree Education
    • Dual Degree Programs & Certificates
    • Center for Continuing Education
  • Admissions
    • Why Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine?
    • Apply for MD Program
    • Apply for PhD Program
    • Apply for Master’s Program
  • Student Affairs
    • MD Student Affairs
    • GMS Student Affairs Resources
  • Research
    • Cores, Facilities & Services
    • Find Funding
    • Centers & Institutes
    • Human Subject Research
    • Resources
  • Giving
    • Why Give?
    • Who Gives?
    • What Can I Give?
    • Where Can I Give?
    • What Can I Attend?
    • How Can I Give?
    • Contact the Development Office
    • Parents Community
    • Donor Resources
  • Offices & Services
    • Office of the Dean
    • Faculty Affairs Office
    • MD Program Offices
    • Master’s & PhD Program Offices
    • Alumni Office
    • Development Office
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Communications Office
    • Events Office
  • News & Events
    • News Archive
    • Calendar

Frontline Medicine & Science

  • Awards & HonorsDennis Jones, PhD, Honored with Early Career Investigator Award
  • ResearchStudy Examines How a Protein Called PAX3 Controls Genes in Melanoma
  • MD ConvocationMD/PhD Convocation Celebrates the Achievements of the Class of ’25
View News & Events

Magazine

Winter Spring 2025Boston University Medicine

Study Finds X-rays Very Helpful for Diagnosing Low Back Problems

xray of spine

Photo by Erica Howard on Unsplash.

Research

Study Finds X-rays Very Helpful for Diagnosing Low Back Problems

April 9, 2025
Twitter Facebook

Plain radiographs (X-ray), computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are commonly used in the evaluation of lower back pain. While MRI use has increased most over the past decades (more than 300% from 1994-2005), its use in low back pain (LBP) management can be associated with added costs and increased surgical interventions.


A new study from researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine has found that in cases of low back pain without worrisome signs, use of an X-ray is often sufficient to diagnose the problem.

Headshot of Dr. Perloff
Michael Perloff, MD

“Imaging, used in the management of low back is not always needed, but when employed there can be an overuse of MRI which adds to patient wait times, costs and the potential for more false positives,” says corresponding author Michael D. Perloff, MD, assistant professor of neurology.

Researchers selected 100 patients from an outpatient pain clinic who had undergone lumbar X-rays within one year prior to undertaking a lumbar MRI. X-ray and MRI reports were analyzed by two readers. They found X-rays predicted MRI results in approximately 75% of the cases for common low back pain problems suggesting they may be a preferred initial imaging study for this condition.

According to the researchers, MRI use does not necessarily change low back pain outcomes and may increase surgical rates. “Patients should be reassured that X-rays can be very helpful for management of low back problems and an MRI is only needed in certain cases. Furthermore, with less need for low back MRIs, the procedure would be more available for other disorders, reducing wait times and systems burden,” said Perloff, a neurologist and director of Pain Medicine at Boston Medical Center.

These findings appear online in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Explore Related Topics:

  • Back Pain
  • Share this story

Share

Study Finds X-rays Very Helpful for Diagnosing Low Back Problems

72 East Concord St.
Boston, MA 02118
Contact & Directions
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

We are Frontline Medicine & Science.

Every day, we learn, conduct research, care, teach, discover, and pioneer in places not everyone goes: the classrooms at the frontline of medicine & science.

  • Medical Campus
  • Search
  • Directory
  • Contact
Boston University
  • © 2025 Trustees of Boston University
  • Privacy Statement
  • Accessibility
  • DMCA
© 2025 Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
Boston University Masterplate