Lumbar disc disease
In symptomatic cases the diagnosis should be confirmed by an MRI scan. However, in cases with slight symptoms, a faster and cheaper CT scan (although it is inferior to MRI scan) may be recommended. While a CT scan can show the bony structures in more detail, an MRI scan can better portray soft tissue.
Safety of magnetic resonance imaging
There is no proven risk of biological harm from any aspect of a MRI scan, including very powerful static magnetic fields, gradient magnetic fields, or radio frequency waves. Some studies have suggested possible genotoxic (i.e., potentially carcinogenic) effects of MRI scanning through micronuclei induction and DNA double strand breaks in vivo and in vitro, however, in most, if not all cases, others have not been able to repeat or validate the results of these studies, and the majority of research shows no genotoxic, or otherwise harmful, effects caused by any part of MRI. A recent study confirmed that MRI at some of the most potentially-risky parameters tested to date (7-tesla static magnetic field, 70 mT/m gradient magnetic field, and maximum strength radio frequency waves), did not cause any DNA damage in vitro.