Dr. Allan Levi Miami, FL A MRI scan of the cervical spine should be obtained if the patient does not respond to conservative therapy, the neck pain is associated with significant radiating pain into the arm or hands, or if there are associated symptoms of either numbness or weakness in the hands, arms or legs.

Dr. Sebastian Lattuga Rockville Centre, NY If you have pain in the neck or arm, this can be a symptom of a herniated disc. A MRI is the best test to determine if you have a herniated disc.

Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein New York, NY If you've had prolonged pain that hasn't responded to conservative measures or any pain radiating into the arm or obviously any neurological deficit then yes, you should have a MRI.

Dr. Paul Saiz Mesa, AZ Back and neck pain is common in 90% of the population. Specifically, any back pain that is refractory to conservative treatment such as therapy, time or medications with associated arm or leg pain may warrant an MRI.

Dr. Theodore A. Belanger Charlotte, NC You should not automatically have an MRI if you experience pain. If you have only neck pain, then, generally, an MRI is unlikely to be very helpful. If you have arm or leg numbness, tingling, pain or weakness, then an MRI is reasonable if symptoms cannot be controlled with simple measures and if you are considering surgery.

Dr. John Peloza Dallas, TX It depends on how long you have had neck pain and what the symptoms are. If you have only neck pain, the MRI is not necessarily done within days or weeks of the injury. However, if the neck pain persists over six weeks, and particularly if it persists for longer than three months, then a MRI scan is indicated. In addition, depending on what your physician feels is the cause of your neck pain, a MRI may be needed sooner. If you have severe radicular pain with loss of strength into an extremity, any symptoms of spinal cord compression or myelopathy, or if there is suspicion of a tumor or infection, a MRI is often done immediately.

Dr. Brian Subach Atlanta, GA If you have neck pain you should be evaluated by a spine specialist. Plain X-rays and MRI scans can help determine the cause of neck pain.

Dr. Jeffrey C. Wang Los Angeles, CA The MRI can allow visualization of all of the neurologic elements as well as the bones, soft tissues, as well as discs in the neck region. It is an excellent imaging study. If neck pain persists, an MRI should be obtained to reveal possible sources of the problem.

Dr. David S. Baskin Houston, TX A qualified physician should decide this. In general, if there is a single event involving trauma, it is a good idea to have at least an X-ray and often an MRI if there is pain that persists, or if the trauma was severe. If conservative measures fail to improve pain within two weeks, or if there are symptoms or findings suggesting nerve function loss, an MRI is almost always indicated, unless your doctor decides to perform another sensitive test called a myelogram and a post myelogram CT scan.

Dr. Daniel Resnick Madison, WI The decisions to have a MRI scan should be made by your primary care physician after a careful history and physical examination. Furthermore, unless there is evidence of a significant neurological deficit, allowing the passage of some time is desirable prior to obtaining the MRI scan. The reason for this is that the vast majority of patients with radicular symptoms will improve by themselves without having to have any sort of invasive therapy. Therefore, the MRI scan and whatever findings may be found in the MRI scan would not be necessary and can actually lead to significant confusion in terms of patient therapy. If you are, however, suffering significant weakness or have other demonstrable neurological deficits then MRI scanning should be obtained sooner rather than later.

Dr. Dennis G. Crandall Mesa, AZ If back pain occurs with radiating leg pain, if neck pain occurs with shooting pain down the arm, if there has been a recent decline in walking ability, or if there is weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, a MRI is often warranted. When back or neck pain are severe, with or without extremity pain, a MRI scan is helpful.

Dr. Mark R. McLaughlin Princeton, NJ It depends on how long and severe the pain is. If the pain is less than four weeks in duration, it probably would be best managed with observation and medication. Persistent or worsening neck or arm pain does need formal evaluation by a physician as well as neck x-ray and possibly an MRI.

Dr. Timothy C. Ryken Iowa City, IA You should have an MRI only after seeing a physician experienced and comfortable with diagnosing neck and spine conditions.

Dr. B. Theo Mellion Carbondale, IL If you have had pain, numbness and/or weakness that has not responded to conservative measures such as physical therapy or chiropractic care or any significant neurological deficit, then yes you should have a MRI.

Dr. Randy Davis Glen Burnie, MD An MRI is a very specific test to determine if there is evidence of a herniated disc or a degenerated disc in the neck. The vast majority of patients can be treated satisfactorily without surgery. For most patients, an MRI is a roadmap for a surgery and I generally will not get an MRI until a patient states that symptoms are severe enough to warrant surgery and they have failed what I would consider adequate non-operative management.

Dr. Rick Sasso Indianapolis, IN Not necessarily. The vast majority of the time the pain goes away on its own. It usually goes away without you doing anything or, if you want to do something, take some anti-inflammatory medicines and rest, basically change your activities, modify your activities, so you are not doing a lot of strenuous things. If you don't get better after a week or so, you may want to call you doctor. And, initially, your doctor will make sure that you don't have any bad signs or symptoms that make us concerned about something more significant going on. If you have neurologic deficits, then he may order an MRI scan, usually first plane x-rays and then an MRI scan. Most of the time, though, an MRI scan is not needed. Very standard non-operative treatment methods are initiated first. But then, if the pain doesn't go away or if it gets worse during those non-operative things, then it may be reasonable to consider x-rays and then an MRI scan.

Dr. Leon J. Grobler Sun City, AZ For patients age 55 and over, an MRI will be ordered if, in the experience of the physician treating the patient: (1) the findings are not typical or the patient's symptoms are non-specific, e.g., pain at night or pain despite rest; (2) there is any question of nerve involvement; and (3) the patient is not responding to conservative (non-surgical) treatments, such as pain medication and/or physical therapy. Additionally, an MRI is ordered for a patient with the following: recent weight loss; an underlying diagnosis or history of osteoporosis; a tumor or history of tumors; and/or strong signs of infection (e.g., fever).

Dr. Joseph Alexander Winston-Salem, NC For patients with persistent neck or arm pain, they should certainly seek evaluation by their family or primary care physician. Particularly if associated with significant weakness or numbness of the arms or legs, they should seek urgent evaluation. Depending on the nature, severity and length of time that a patient has suffered symptoms, a MRI may be a reasonable imaging study. However, in most cases, neck pain is due to just a simple neck strain or sprain and will usually resolve on its own. It is often not necessary with a first or mild episode of neck pain to immediately obtain an MRI scan. The decision of this, of course, would be up to the examining physician.

Dr. Douglas Slaughter Mesa, AZ Most patients do not need an MRI for strictly back or neck pain; however, if you do have arm or leg symptoms, MRI is usually warranted. For long-standing back or neck pain with cause not easily identified on x-ray, an MRI may occasionally be used to identify a potential cause for back or neck discomfort.

Dr. Mark Testaiuti Haddonfield, NJ It depends on how long; occasional aches and pains are normal but if neck pain has been present for several days or weeks with the pain extending down to the shoulder and arm, an MRI can be considered. If persistent numbness or true weakness is present, an MRI is recommended.

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