Headaches and Additional Testing: $1 Billion Spent Annually on Brain Scans

Headache. That dull, throbbing pain that just won't go away. 

For some of us, we may find ourselves experiencing headache pain too frequently. Excessive pain in various regions of the skull can signal an alternate health issue that may need additional testing. However, when is it right to make that call?

According to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical School, they found that including brain scans, MRIs and other screenings or treatments for head troubles, over a $1 billion is spent each year on this health problem alone. 

Though the national guidelines for U.S. physicians show that doctors do not typically send patients complaining of headaches for brain scans, the cost for this and other procedures has risen over the years. 

"This is a conservative cost estimate based on what Medicare would pay for these tests. CTs and MRIs are commonly ordered for headache and migraine, and increasing over time, despite the fact that there are rare circumstances where imaging should be used," said lead study author and U-M neurologist Dr. Brian Callaghan, via NBC. "Lots of guidelines say we shouldn't do this - including ones from neurology and radiology groups - but yet we still do it a lot. This is a source of tremendous cost in health care without a lot of evidence to justify the cost."

Though there are many reasons why doctors may request MRIs for some patients, statisitcs show that only 1 to 3 percent of scans reveal a blood vessel issue or growth problem that's related to the headaches. 

"There's solid research showing that the number of times you find serious issues on these scans in headache patients is about the same as that for a randomly chosen group of non-headache patients," Callaghan said. "And a lot of the things we find on such scans aren't necessarily something we will do something about."

Though a patient's health is the most important part, Callaghan notes that many doctors may not take such medical costs into account. And often times, these scans can be unnecessary, as well. 

"There has to be trust that if the physician is saying you don't need it, the key is not to push them on it," he concludes, via the news organization. 

What do you think?