ACP issues best practice advice on diagnostic imaging for low back pain

Routine imaging with X-ray or advanced imaging methods such as CT scan or MRI does not improve the health of patients with low back pain, a new paper from ACP advises.

The College has released new best practice advice for diagnostic imaging for patients with low back pain in the paper “Diagnostic Imaging for Low Back Pain: Advice for High-Value Health Care “ published in the Feb. 1 Annals of Internal Medicine.

ACP recommends that routine or advanced imaging studies should only be performed on higher-risk patients who have severe progressive neurologic deficits or signs or symptoms suggesting a serious or underlying medical condition. Decisions regarding repeat imaging for patients should be based on the development of new symptoms or changes in current symptoms.

Physicians should stop ordering imaging tests in patients with nonspecific low back pain as unnecessary imaging can lead to a series of additional unnecessary tests, follow-ups, and referrals, as well as invasive procedures that can be of limited or no benefit and may even be harmful.

Implementing these new recommendations will help physicians provide better care to patients with low back pain, reduce costs, improve outcomes, and limit patients' exposure to harm, the paper said.