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My back has been hurting for a little while now (nothing major but it was sore) On Saturday it started hurting really bad so on Sunday I went to Urgent Care. They told me pretty much what I suspected I has sciatica. They gave me some percocet and told me to rest for a few days. They also mentioned possibly getting an x-ray. Now if I get an x-ray it will cost me at least $400 even with my insurance cause I have a deductible that has not been met yet. I did some research online and it seems that people are split on whether or not x-rays do any good for sciatica type back pain. So I am torn I need to go back to work tomorrow and my back is still sore. Do I go and pay the money to get a x-ray that maybe do me no good or do I try and give it a few more days to see if the pain gets better? So anyways I was wondering if anyone here happened to have any experience or knowledge about sciatica back pain and x-rays?

The X-Ray is to see what is causing the Sciatica. Somewhere you have a nerve under pressure, and the Doctor will need to know how to treat your symptoms.

Sciatica - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bingo! Plus if a doctor wants you to get an X-Ray I'm all for it. And that's all I'm going to say as I'm not a doctor.

I always thought Sciatica was a fake condition like Lumbago.

the doctor didn't say I had to get it. He just said I may want to get one but as of right now I am planning on going in for the x-ray as soon as I can get someone to drive me.

I know why you're having back problems.

I'm afraid I cannot assist you in this matter since I'm Canadian and my health care doesn't apply to the 3rd world conditions that sadly most Americans are forced to endure.

My advice? Find a fine lookin' Canadian woman to marry and move here.

Jay said:

I'm afraid I cannot assist you in this matter since I'm Canadian and my health care doesn't apply to the 3rd world conditions that sadly most Americans are forced to endure.

My advice? Find a fine lookin' Canadian woman to marry and move here.

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Or failing that, move to Vancouver and find a fine lookin' Canadian man to marry...

Well I went in for the x-ray and they didn't find anything with the x-ray which is good in the sense that it is not a tumor,bone spurts,etc but it also means the x-ray was pretty much a waste of money. The pain is most likely being caused by muscles pushing on the sciatic nerve and that type of thing doesn't show up on x-rays. But on the good side the doctor gave me some anti-inflammatory steroids and some more pain medicine and gave me some stretches to do to help alleviate the pain. And I am back at work so that is good (except for the fact that I am 2 days behind on work)

And down $400 dollars on something that should be free.

It's actually good news that the X-ray came back negative for an operable problem. It saved you a few nights in the hospital and a butterfly-fillet of your ass. Do your stretches and take your muscle relaxers as prescribed.

Jay said:

And down $400 dollars on something that should be free.

Click to expand...

Yeah, but now he can get some sexy MRI done at the cost of nothing.

I'm not 100% on this but I'm not sure if an xray will show a blown disk.


*and after a quick google search - yes, yes it can.

While the loss of $400 always sucks, it's not like you actually wanted them to find something horribly wrong, so cheer up!