15/10/2026
Did you know that an MRI scan can show abnormalities in people who have absolutely no pain? 🧠
It’s easy to assume that if something shows up on an MRI scan, it must be the cause of your pain. But what does the research actually tell us?
A landmark systematic review involving 3,110 people without symptoms of back pain found that:
• 37% of 20-year-olds had disc degeneration.
• 52% of 30-year-olds had disc degeneration.
• 68% of 40-year-olds had disc degeneration.
• 80% of 50-year-olds had disc degeneration.
And none of these people were experiencing back pain!
More recent research published in 2025 has continued to explore the relationship between MRI findings and low back pain, reinforcing the importance of interpreting imaging alongside the wider clinical picture.
So what does this mean for you?
Finding disc degeneration, disc bulges or other structural changes on an MRI doesn’t automatically mean they’re responsible for your pain.
Many of these findings are common age-related changes, and not necessarily something to be worried about.
Pain is complex. It is influenced by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors, and the relationship between what we see on a scan and what someone experiences isn’t always straightforward.
MRI scans are incredibly valuable when clinically indicated, but they are just one part of the assessment.
As physiotherapists, we don’t just treat what we see on a scan. We assess the person, their symptoms, their movement and their function.
