What Imaging Tests Can Reveal About Your Persistent Pain

When you have persistent pain, the cause isn’t always immediately apparent. Your doctor can’t just look at you and provide a diagnosis, and blood and urine tests may come back without providing complete answers. That’s when imaging scans are useful, to look inside your body and assess internal structures.

At New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center in Hackettstown, New Jersey, and Matamoras, Pennsylvania, Ajay Kumar, MD, and our team use various forms of imaging to help diagnose and form treatment plans for chronic back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and knee pain. 

Different types of imaging scans

Depending on the type of pain you’re experiencing and where your pain is located, your doctor may order one or multiple types of imaging scans.

1. X-rays

These radiographic scans use small amounts of radiation to provide clear pictures of your bones. The amount of radiation used is usually equal to a few days or so of the natural radiation exposure in Earth’s atmosphere.

X-rays are the first types of tests your doctor usually orders if you have a fracture, bone spur, or chronic pain issues like scoliosis or arthritis.

2. Computed tomography (CT)

CT scans use a combination of X-rays and computer processing to create cross-sectional images of your body. Your doctor typically orders this type of imaging when more detail is needed than an X-ray can deliver. 

Bone, joint, and muscle tissue are visible on CT scans, making it easier to spot tumors, joint degeneration, and spinal abnormalities that cause persistent pain.

3. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

MRI scans show even more detail than an X-ray or a CT scan, without using radiation. Instead, an MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create detailed 3D computer images of the inside of your body.

These scans can find conditions like herniated discs, nerve compression, spinal cord issues, tumors, and soft tissue joint injuries.

4. Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves instead of radiation or radio waves to produce images of joints, muscles, and soft tissues. It’s a convenient tool for diagnosing conditions like bursitis, ligament tears, muscle injuries, and tendonitis, all of which can cause persistent pain if not correctly diagnosed and treated. 

Benefits of imaging tests for diagnosing persistent pain

Imaging helps us provide a diagnosis of what is causing your chronic pain so we can create a targeted treatment protocol. Our team may recommend various treatment approaches ranging from physical therapy to medication-based pain management to minimally invasive spine procedures. 

Imaging can also allow us to track a diagnosed condition to see if it worsens or to monitor recovery after an injury or surgery.

If you’ve been struggling with persistent pain, contact New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Kumar and our team.