Why is an MRI better than a CT scan for diagnosing back pain?

With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it became possible to see the bones, nerves, discs, and joints on one image without the side effects and dangers of computed tomography (CT) scan with myelogram (dye injected into the spinal canal). Millions of patients whose condition may not have warranted a CT scan -- or who were simply unwilling to undergo one -- could now have an MRI to diagnose their pain once and for all.