When Is Imaging Appropriate for a Patient With Low Back Pain?

摘要

A 48-year-old pickleball player comes to the primary care clinic complaining of low back pain for 5 days. He was playing in a game when he reached for the ball and noted immediate sharp pain in his right lumbar region. He has been managing the pain with relative rest, alternating ice and heat, and appropriately dosed ibuprofen. However, he is concerned that the sharp pain has not resolved. He asks the provider to “get pictures” to make sure “everything is okay.”