Researchers at Stanford University suggest some people with lower back pain may be undergoing surgery unnecessarily.
A new study, published online October 14, 2009 in Health Affairs, suggests this is especially true if the patient lives in an area with easy access to MRI equipment.
Stanford researchers looked at data from Medicare patients who suffered from lower back pain between 1998 and 2005. According to a news release: "Patient data were linked with the number of MRI machines in the area. The areas of MRI availability were then divided into four groups, from high to low, and the incidence of MRI scans and surgeries were determined in each group."
Those who lived in places with a high volume of MRI machines were more likely to have back surgery.
Doctors say MRI's can help rule out certain back problems, but may also detect what turns out to be insignificant problems, leading some doctors to perform unnecessary surgery.
