PATIENT they usually come to the family doctor with complaints of low back pain. Because most patients recover fully or partially within six weeks, imaging studies are not usually recommended in the first month of acute low back pain.
Exceptions include patients with suspected cauda equina syndrome, infections, tumors, fractures, or progressive neurologic deficits. Patients who do not improve within a month should receive MRIs if a herniated disc is suspected (Humphreys, 2002).
Previously you need to know, what is low back pain (LBP)?
Low back pain (back pain) or the general public often refers to it by the term pinched nerve is pain in the waist or lower back that can be felt up to the buttocks and thighs. In some cases, the pain radiates to the legs (Dvi, 2020).
There are currently no epidemiological data regarding LBP in Indonesia. The prevalence of LBP in Indonesia is 11.9% who suffered from low back pain with a prevalence in men (30.6%) and women (69.4%) (Saputra, 2020).
The most common cause of low back pain (LBP) is a torn or pulled muscle or ligament. This can be in the form of a lower back sprain or strain that can come on suddenly or can develop slowly over time from repetitive motion.
Sprains and strains that trigger lower back pain can be caused by a number of factors such as lifting heavy objects, sudden movements that put too much pressure on the lower back such as falls, poor posture over time, sports injuries involving twisting or great force accident (Family mates, 2022).
Why MRI?
Magnetic Resonance Imagingeng (MRI) is a modality of diagnostic radiology that uses a high intensity magnetic field so as not to cause radiation effects. Magnetic resonance (MR) is obtained from the interaction between atomic nuclei and an applied magnetic field. The nucleus that dominates most biological tissues is the hydrogen atom (Westbrook, 2008).
Currently, MRI is a routine examination in major hospitals. In principle, almost all organs of the body can be examined with an MRI. 90% of MRI exams performed on the head e vertebrae. While the remaining 10% is intended for examination of other bodies (Rasad, 2011).
Lumbar MRI is a supportive examination to determine the diagnosis of abnormalities in the lumbar region.
Indications for lumbar MRI examination
Indications for lumbar MRI according to Westbrook (2014), namely:
- Nerve compression
Nerve compression syndrome, or compression neuropathy, is a medical condition caused by direct pressure on a nerve. This is known colloquially as a pinched nerve, although it can also refer to compression of a nerve root.
- Spinal dysraphism
Spinal dysraphism is a congenital anomaly in the development of the spine associated with the injury neurological.
- You learn
Discitis is swelling (inflammation) and irritation of the spaces between the vertebrae (spaces intervertebral disc).
- Failed back syndrome
Failed back syndrome is the condition of a patient who has not had a successful outcome with back or spine surgery and has experienced continued pain following surgery.
- Arachnoiditis
Arachnoiditis it is inflammation arachnoidone of the membranes that surrounds and protects the nerves from the spinal cord.
Advantages of MRI
The advantages of an MRI exam are:
- Non-invasive (without surgery)
- No radiation
- MRI contrast agents rarely produce allergic reactions
- Images of soft tissue structures are very clear and detailed compared to other imaging techniques
- It can easily create hundreds of images from almost any direction and in any orientation
- It can be used to see if the cancer has spread and help determine the best course of treatment. (*/jay)
