Understand your MRI or X-ray report

Upload a photo of the written report. You get each term explained in plain words, whether it is common at your age, what it could mean for your symptoms, what usually helps, and questions to ask your doctor. In English, Telugu or Hindi.

Built by Nuprana physiotherapists, led by Dr. V. B. Rajendra Prasad, MPT. Free.

What kind of report is it?
Any symptoms? (tick any that apply)
Upload the report

Photograph the written report, not the scan pictures.

We keep your report and the explanation for 90 days for quality checks, then delete them. Not a substitute for medical advice: discuss the explanation with your physiotherapist.

Why scan reports are hard to read

Scan reports are written by radiologists for other doctors, so they use exact anatomical terms: desiccation, protrusion, foraminal narrowing, osteophytes. Many of these describe changes that are a normal part of ageing and appear on the scans of people with no pain at all. Read without that context, a report can sound far more alarming than it is.

This tool translates the report into everyday language and says which findings are common at your age. It does not look at the scan images, and it cannot examine you. Your doctor or physiotherapist links the report to your symptoms and decides what it means for you.

Frequently asked questions

Is a disc bulge on my MRI serious?
Usually not on its own. Disc bulges and signs of wear are very common in adults over 40, including many people with no pain at all. What matters is how the findings fit with your symptoms, which is something your doctor or physiotherapist judges by examining you.
Is this a diagnosis?
No. It explains the words in your report in plain language. Only a doctor or physiotherapist who examines you can tell what the findings mean for you. Discuss the explanation with them before acting on it.
Do you keep my report?
We keep your report and the explanation for 90 days, only so we can check the quality of the explanations, and then delete them. They are not shared or used for anything else.
Which reports can it explain?
The written report from an MRI, X-ray or CT scan, and hospital discharge summaries. It reads the text of the report, not the scan pictures themselves.
Can it explain the report in Telugu or Hindi?
Yes. Choose English, Telugu or Hindi before you start. The medical terms stay in English so you can match them to the report.
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Dr. Rajendra

Overseen by Dr. V. B. Rajendra Prasad, MPT. Licensed to practice in the US (NY state) and UK (HCPC).
20 years of clinical experience. About Dr. Rajendra