My son is 17 and plays football. complaining of ankle hurting and pains shooting up his leg. does he need a mri?

Exam first: There has been a lot of great diagnostic skill derived from years of training & practice that your physician can bring to the process of examining a patient.After an exam, the physician can decide if additional studies are necessary prior to treatment.

Needs to be examined: An examination will go along way in determining what might be the problem as well as what teats need to be performed and what can be done.

Maybe, but...: You should have your son medically evaluated to help determine the cause of his pain. He may need an MRI, but usually Doctors start out with a physical exam, and then x-rays. Depending on the findings, your Doctor may recommend an MRI or other additional imaging procedure.