What tests do they run to find a disk problem in your back?!
Question: Is it x-rays or mri or what?
Answers: Is it x-rays or mri or what?
X-ray will only show the vertebra and gaps between: where the discs are. MRI will show all. However, usually they will give you a physical exam, as I say play with your legs and after that they can usually tell if you have a disc problem and send you for a MRI. Remember the spine is long, neck to tail, so they need some idea what discs to scan? No point in scanning the cervical discs: neck, if the pain is in the lower back, hence the physical exam first.
The MRI will show the full spine sideways on, so they can see if any discs are bulging into the spinal canal. Then they can hone in on the area the Doc stated he wanted scanned and they literally slice the discs open, so they can see the flat disc, see if it is whole or torn and if torn if it is pressing on any nerve roots.
So if your Doc reckons it is T10 and while setting up the MRI they see a bulge at L4, tough, they will slice T10 area and ignore L4. Hence the Physical exam. Good Luck
Both. They will start with an x-ray(which usually doesn't show much). Then do an MRI. If they still can't get a clar picture, you may get a Mylogram which is injecting dye into the spinal column.