Knowledge Hub
Knowledge Hub
Investigations
Spinal investigations and diagnostic tests — MRI, CT, X-rays, SPECT-CT, EMG and nerve conduction studies, DEXA scans and diagnostic injections, with patient glossaries for each type of report.
Watch · Intro
How spinal investigations work
Mr Madi walks through the imaging and diagnostic tests used in spinal care — what each scan shows, when it's needed, and how the results guide your treatment plan.
2 min · Mr Madi
X-rays
6 entries
Other Investigations
Overview — Spinal InvestigationsHow the right spinal test is chosen — matching the investigation to the clinical question.Read more PET ScanA nuclear medicine scan, usually combined with CT, that shows the activity of tissues — used in the spine mainly for tumour and infection.Read more Ultrasound ScanA radiation-free scan using sound waves — used in the spine mainly to guide injections and to look at soft tissues.Read more Genetic TestingAnalysing DNA to look for inherited conditions that can affect the spine — used in selected situations.Read more
MRI
MRI ScanningThe main scan for looking at the discs, nerves and spinal cord — using magnets and radio waves, with no X-rays.Read more Open MRIA wider, open-sided scanner for people who feel claustrophobic or do not fit comfortably in a standard tunnel.Read more Upright (Weight-Bearing) MRIAn MRI taken standing or sitting, so the spine is imaged under the load of gravity rather than lying down.Read more MRI Under SedationA calming medicine to help people who find it hard to lie still or cope with the enclosed scanner.Read more MRI Under General Anaesthetic (GA)A full anaesthetic so the scan can be completed when staying still awake is not possible.Read more MRI with ContrastA dye given into a vein that makes certain problems — infection, inflammation, tumour and scar tissue — stand out.Read more MRI SequencesWhy the same spine is scanned several different ways — and what T1, T2, STIR and the rest are actually showing.Read more Common Terms on an MRI ReportPlain-English meanings for the words that appear most often in a spinal MRI report.Read more
CT
CT ScanningA detailed X-ray-based scan that shows bone in fine three-dimensional detail.Read more CT with ContrastA CT scan with an iodine-based dye that highlights blood vessels and certain soft-tissue problems.Read more CT MyelogramA CT scan combined with dye placed around the nerves, used mainly when MRI cannot be done or is unclear.Read more 3D CT ReconstructionTurning CT slices into a rotatable three-dimensional model of the spine for planning surgery.Read more Common Terms on a CT ReportPlain-English meanings for the words that appear most often in a spinal CT report.Read more
X-rays
X-ray ImagingThe quick, widely available first look at the bones and alignment of the spine.Read more Standing X-raysX-rays taken upright so the spine is seen bearing weight, as it is in daily life.Read more Dynamic X-raysBending forwards and backwards during X-rays to reveal instability that still pictures miss.Read more Whole Spine X-raysFull-length images of the entire spine to measure overall curvature and balance.Read more EOS ImagingA low-dose, standing scanner that captures the whole body from front and side at once and builds a 3D model.Read more Common Terms on an X-ray ReportPlain-English meanings for the words that appear most often in a spinal X-ray report.Read more
SPECT-CT
SPECT-CT ScanningA nuclear medicine scan combined with CT that pinpoints areas of active bone turnover.Read more Bone SPECT-CTA bone-activity scan fused with CT, pinpointing exactly which bone or joint in the spine is metabolically active.Read more SI Joint SPECT-CTA SPECT-CT focused on the sacroiliac joints, able to reveal an active joint problem that ordinary scans often miss.Read more Post-operative SPECT-CTA SPECT-CT used after spinal surgery to help find the cause of persistent pain, even around metalwork.Read more Common Terms on a SPECT-CT ReportPlain-English meanings for the words that appear most often in a spinal SPECT-CT report.Read more
EMG & Nerve Conduction Studies
EMG & Nerve Conduction StudiesElectrical tests of nerves and muscles that help distinguish spinal nerve compression from peripheral nerve or muscle disease.Read more Common Terms on an EMG & Nerve Conduction Study ReportA patient glossary of the most common terms found on an EMG and nerve conduction study report.Read more
DEXA Scan
DEXA ScanningA quick, very low-dose scan that measures bone density to assess the risk of fracture.Read more Vertebral Fracture Assessment (VFA)A low-dose side-on image of the spine taken on the DEXA machine to spot vertebral fractures.Read more Common Terms on a DEXA Scan ReportPlain-English meanings for the scores and words that appear on a bone-density report.Read more Body Composition DEXAUsing the DEXA scanner to measure fat, muscle and bone across the body.Read more
Diagnostic Injections
Diagnostic InjectionsTargeted injections of local anaesthetic used to find out which structure is actually causing pain.Read more Selective Nerve Root BlockNumbing a single nerve root to test whether that specific nerve is the source of arm or leg pain.Read more Facet Joint InjectionAn injection into a small spinal joint to test whether it is a source of back or neck pain.Read more SI Joint InjectionAn injection into the joint between the spine and pelvis to test whether it is causing low back or buttock pain.Read more Medial Branch BlockNumbing the tiny nerves that supply a facet joint to confirm the joint as a pain source.Read more Caudal Epidural InjectionAn epidural injection given at the very base of the spine, through the natural gap in the sacrum, to reach the lower nerves.Read more CT-Guided Cervical Nerve Root BlockA nerve root injection in the neck performed under CT guidance for pinpoint accuracy in a delicate area.Read more Costotransverse Joint InjectionAn injection into the small joint where a rib meets a vertebra in the mid-back, to test whether it is a source of thoracic pain.Read more Transforaminal Epidural InjectionA precisely targeted epidural placed right where a nerve root exits the spine, to relieve and help localise nerve pain.Read more Understanding Your Injection ResultsHow the response to a diagnostic injection is interpreted — and why what happens afterwards matters most.Read more DiscographyA specialised, selectively used test to assess whether a particular disc is a source of pain.Read more