Services

Back Pain Assessment Scans

Back Pain Assessment

What's causing your back pain? Find out with the help of our expert clinicians. Book online, and you'll get a pre-scan phone assessment, an MRI scan for back pain, a radiologist's report, and a follow-up consultation to discuss your results and recommendations.

Expert-led assessment
No GP referral required
Fast digital results
UK's largest imaging network

Not sure what you need?

Book a consultation call with our clinicians for expert advice. It costs just £50, and you'll get your money back as a discount off any recommended scans.

Who will assess my spine?

You'll be matched with a member of our experienced clinical team, who have over 100 years of combined expertise in diagnosing spinal issues and managing back pain.

Your back pain assessment includes an MRI scan, which will be reviewed by an expert radiologist, who is a highly-trained doctor specialising in interpreting medical images. They will write a report of their findings, which will be explained to you by your dedicated clinician and shared with you.

What does an MRI scan of the spine show?

MRI is the gold-standard imaging test for the spine, and creates detailed images of the vertebrae (bones), discs between them, spinal cord, nerves, and surrounding soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments and tendons that support and connect the spine.

It can be used to diagnose a wide range of spinal concerns, such as disc problems, nerve compression or damage, fractures, tumours, degeneration, and infection.

How long does a full spine MRI scan for back pain take?

Each section of the spine takes between 10-30 minutes to scan, and a whole spine MRI can take up to 60 minutes.

Depending on where your back pain is coming from, you may only need a scan on a single section of your spine (e.g. lumbar spine, or thoracic spine). The pre-scan clinician consultation included with your scan will ensure you’ve selected the right area for your symptoms.

What are the back pain red flags to look out for?

Back pain can be debilitating, but it is not always a sign of something serious. If you’ve got new or persistent back pain, an MRI scan can help you access a diagnosis and open the door to treatments such as physical therapy, surgery, or guided injections.

Some back pain red flags include focussed pain in the middle of your spine, worsened pain at night, or unexplained weight loss, bladder or bowel symptoms, or leg pain alongside back pain.

What to wear for an MRI scan on your back

We recommend wearing soft, comfortable clothing with no metal fastenings for your MRI scan. MRI uses strong magnets that are not compatible with zips, underwires or metal buttons, and you should remove any jewellery, glasses, dentures, watches and other metal items.

You might be asked to change into a hospital gown, and your radiographer will help you identify anything that may need to be removed before your scan.

Private Back Pain Assessment Costs

When you book a private back scan with Scan.com, you'll receive a full, end-to-end package of care, starting from just £295.

Our scan costs vary depending on the pricing set by the individual scanning centres we work with.

Private Back Scan

Starting from £295

Quick and easy referral process, with support from a dedicated expert clinician

Your MRI scan, at a selected location near you

Digital access to your radiologist's report, and the option to request copies of your images as required

If there are any next steps or adverse findings, our expert clinicians will provide a post-scan phone consultation to explain your scan results

How it works

01 Book and referral
Select which area(s) of the spine you'd like to have scanned, choose a convenient location, and make payment to secure your booking. Within 2 days, you'll receive a phone consultation with an expert clinician, who will ask you about your symptoms, and create your referral.
02 Scan Confirmation
After referral, your chosen scanning site will call you to confirm your appointment date and time. Please wait until they have called before booking any time off or travel arrangements for your appointment.
03 Have your scan
You’ll visit your selected scanning centre, where expert radiographers and patient care staff will explain the procedure and complete your scan. Afterwards, the images will be sent to a highly qualified radiologist for reporting.
04 Receive your results
Our clinicians will receive your report, and email a copy to you. You can also request copies of your images if needed for onward care. If any abnormalities are found, our clinicians will contact you to discuss your results and next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions about booking an MRI scan with us, visit our FAQ guide.

Can't see an answer to your question? Our friendly patient care team are happy to help.

More FAQs

A key benefit of booking with Scan.com is that you do not need a GP referral to access our services. There is also no self-referral process. Instead, our in-house medical team will contact you once you have booked and made payment for your scan. Our clinicians will ask you for all of the relevant information they need to compile a referral on your behalf, which is then passed on to your chosen scanning site.
Once you have had your scan, your radiologist’s report will be emailed to you in PDF format, usually within 7 working days.

Digital copies of your images are also available as required for onward care. The method for accessing the images differs depending on your chosen scanning site.

Some sites use IEP(Image Exchange Portal), while others require an image request form to be completed. Please refer to your results email for further information.
- A pre-scan consultation from one of our medical team over the phone or via email.
- A written referral by our medical team, using the information from your consultation.
- An MRI scan at your chosen scanning centre.
- A written report on your scan by a consultant radiologist.
- Access to copies of your scan images, which are downloadable, as required.
- A post-scan consultation with one of our medical team if there are any adverse findings in your scan.
An MRI scan on a single body part typically takes between 10–30 minutes

Full-body MRI scans, additional body parts, or more complex scans can last up to 90 minutes. this time frame can vary, and your radiographer will let you know the estimated duration of your scan before the procedure starts. Visit our news page for more information on how MRI scans work.
Yes, we do offer cancellations and refunds, though depending on the status of your booking this may incur a £50 cancellation fee. For more information, visit our terms and conditions.

Dedicated Care

By a team of experienced clinicians

Meet our team of expert radiologists, osteopaths, physiotherapists and general practitioners. They're here to provide the highest standards of care throughout your scanning journey.

Dr. Khalid Latief

BMSc, MBChB, FRCP, FRCR
Jasper Nissim

D.O.
Emma Ross

D.O.
Simon Thurgood
Mark Piper

Private CT Scan

Scanning Locations

Our growing network of scanning sites scanning sites makes it simple and easy to book a CT scan near you.

View all

London

Marylebone Canary Wharf Queen's Square

Manchester

Sheffield Wigan Preston

Orpington Chenies Mews

Other scanning services

We're the UK's largest diagnostic imaging provider, and we offer a wide range of scan types to suit your needs.

MRI Scan

MRI scans use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to generate images. They can be used on most parts of the body, including joints, blood vessels, bones, soft tissues, organs, and the spine.

Starting from £305

Ultrasound Scan

Ultrasound is a safe medical imaging method, which uses high frequency sound waves to create pictures (sonograms) of the joints, soft tissues, organs and blood vessels.

Starting from £180

Full Body MRI Scan

Our full body scan service offers a preventative screening of the brain, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and key blood vessels, to look for abnormalities as early as possible.

Starting from £1,499