It is a painless imaging technique that uses a strong magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to create high-resolution images of the dorso-lumbar spine junction. Your doctor may advise this test to evaluate disorders of the spinal cord, vertebral discs, surrounding tissues and nerves, as well as distinguish between normal and diseased tissue. The test is recommended to find out the cause of the lower back pain and to look for any injury or fracture of the spinal bones.