The MRI may scan your whole spine or just a part of it. Unlike X-rays and computerized tomography (CT) scans, it doesn’t use damaging radiation. It’s generally safe and painless.

CT scans, which use computer tomography, have increased 30% from 68.7 million in 2007 to 93 million in 2023. They are more detailed than X-rays, but research has found radiation from CT scans is ...

The safety of CT scans has long been debated—particularly since what we know about cancer risks of low to ... bowel disorders, kidney stones, internal bleeding, and brain or spinal cord ...

Researchers estimated that the use of CT scans in 2023 would cause 102,700 lifetime cancers, including 93,000 cancers in adults and 9700 cancers in children.

The safety of CT scans has long been debated—particularly since what we know about cancer risks of low to ... bowel disorders, kidney stones, internal bleeding, and brain or spinal cord ...

Cancers in children were most commonly associated with CT exams of the head (n=5100), abdomen and pelvis (n=1600), spine (n=1300), chest (n=1200), and full body (n=320).