Because most back pain is due to wear and tear, imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans don’t show anything useful and won’t be helpful in treating your back and leg pain. In a few situations, such as a major injury caused by a serious fall, your health practitioner may recommend the tests but that is a special case. For common back pain the pictures may actually show things that are not “normal” but which have nothing to do with the pain and those images an get in the way of proper treatment.