Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
MRI
The dorso-lumbar spine is the transition zone where the lower thoracic vertebrae meet the upper lumbar spine - the stretch doctors check for mid-back pain that doesn't fit a neck or lower-back complaint. Disc herniation here is less common than in the neck or lower back, and it's frequently found by accident on a scan done for something else, since it often causes no symptoms at all. When symptomatic, roughly three-quarters of thoracic disc herniations occur below the T8 level, most often around T11-T12, and pain can wrap around the ribs or into the abdomen rather than follow a typical arm or leg pattern. This plain scan, without injection, is the usual starting point for this region.
This scan covers the lower thoracic and upper lumbar vertebrae, discs, and spinal cord in the dorso-lumbar region. It picks up disc herniation, degenerative changes, and structural causes of mid-back pain that don't clearly point to the neck or lower back on their own.
The dorso-lumbar spine is the transition zone - the lower thoracic vertebrae where they meet the upper lumbar spine. It's imaged less often than the neck or lower back, mostly because problems in this stretch are less common too.
Thoracic disc herniation is less frequent than herniation in the cervical or lumbar spine, and most cases cause no symptoms at all - many are found only incidentally, on a scan done for another reason. When herniation here is symptomatic, roughly three-quarters occur below the T8 level, most often around T11-T12. Pain from this region can wrap around the ribs or into the abdomen instead of following a typical arm or leg pattern, which is part of why doctors image this region specifically rather than assuming a neck or lower-back cause.
- Disc herniation or bulging at the thoracic-lumbar junction - Degenerative changes in vertebrae and discs - Spinal cord or nerve root compression - Structural causes of mid-back pain that don't fit a typical pattern
This plain scan, without contrast, is the standard starting point for this region.
It covers the lower thoracic vertebrae and the upper lumbar spine, the transition zone between your mid-back and lower back.
If your pain sits in the mid-back, or doesn't clearly match a neck or lower-back pattern, this scan targets the specific region in between. It's ordered less often than lumbar or cervical MRI simply because problems in this area are less common.
It's less common than herniation in the neck or lower back, and it often causes no symptoms at all, showing up only when a scan is done for another reason.
No, MRI doesn't use X-rays or radiation of any kind.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Not for the plain version. Contrast is only added if your doctor suspects infection, a tumor, or wants to check the spine after surgery.
It generally takes 30 to 60 minutes, though this can vary based on how many sequences are needed. Confirm the expected time with the centre when you book.
Mid-back pain, pain that wraps around the ribs or into the abdomen, or symptoms not explained by a neck or lower-back scan are common reasons.