How do you actually get military doctors to help out?

Good civilian insurance for a $1000 a month Alex.
I was in the middle of med boarding in 2014, when they decided to go ahead and out process me without finishing. I've been fighting V.A. doctors since returning from Iraq in 09. I have the exact same lumbar back issues, along with thorasic and severe cervical spine issues with pinching nerves down my left side. .....
What comes with a price and the furthest from government control?..... That my final answer Alex. Or rather. SSG ... Ps... Save ALL of that paper work make triplicates or more and hide in 3 different places. Especially if you still in.

First and foremost: You MUST see a specialist. The patient experience on the Specialty Clinic side is AMAZING compared to the Primary Care side.
In my vast experience as a medical patient (my medical record was four volumes thick, the same as amputees I met through the journey) who ended up with a Medical Separation after 12 years of faithful service, you must see a specialist for every problem that isn’t adequately healed or addressed. If the condition requires daily pain medication for long term (like forever), then DEMAND TO SEE A SPECIALIST!
In this case, you need to be seen at the Ortho clinic (where the orthopedic surgeons are at).
I had pain in my pelvis (I though it was my lower back, but turned out to be my SI joint), and the most painful thing for me was waking up in bed and then raising my leg to slide it over the edge to stand up. Terrible pain, that only got worse as time went on. I saw a primary care doc, who ordered X-rays, and diagnosed me with Osteoarthritis of the hip, prescribed Mobic twice a day, and that was it.
Years later, after having many different primary care doctors see me for physicals, etc., and every one of them complaining that I was on Mobic because “that stuff is $2.00 a pill!” (so yes, I believe your doc complained about the cost of an MRI), I eventually (VERY long story) ended up at a Rheumatologist (joint specialist, and if you have arthritis, you need to be seen at Rheum!), who said, “Nobody your age has osteoarthritis. It must be something else.” After many tests, including MRIs, I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, and prescribed Humira, which I took weekly (injection). So I went from $700 per year of Mobic, which only treated the symptom, and not the immune disorder that was attacking my joint (permanent damage was caused by “manning-up” and toughing it out, and deteriorated joints do NOT heal themselves, and there is no “SI joint” replacement surgery, so I’m stuck with it for life), which caused the inflammation, which caused the pain, to $25,000 per year (back in 2008, anyway) of the correct medicine that actually dealt with the root cause, so now there is relatively very little pain, and the disease has not progressed up my spine to fuse the bones together, which is what will happen without the medicine.
Oh, and not a single specialist has said a word about the cost of my treatment, and I’ve been seen by the VA since 2010, with over $250,000 (2008 cost, anyway) of that medicine injected into my body by now.
Never be afraid to see a specialist for anything that doesn’t get fixed quickly, and permanently. And some day, you will get out, and you will WISH that you had more stuff in your medical record.
Good luck, and I hope you find the true cause, and don’t just settle for treating the symptoms.

"Recently, I was told that they won’t recommend a MRI because of the cost and they will probably find something wrong and will have to fix it which can cause more problems."
I'd fill out an ICE card (which goes to their MEDCOM unit leadership) and go straight to your command team. Any 1SG & CPT worth their salt would fight for you to get treatment to get back in the fight. My two cents.

I am not a doc, but did you realize the running causes more problems for the back? Did you want to know how to help the pain or how to get treatment? First water exercise is good for back issue. Is the water run it will help stretch the spine. Run in derp water not shallow shallow you get 50% inpact, deep no impact. Also yoga and qi gong and tai chi are good therapy for thy he back. Cant believe your doc said those things to you abou mri. MRI is best to dx back pain, and if something more is found he needs to tteat those issues to. What if you have herniated disc? He needs to treat the problem. You need a secon opinion or new doc. Yes MRI are expensive but so is surgery. I think it is unethical to withhold test and treatment because of cost. Also you can take your xray to an orthopedic surgeon or neurologist for a second opinion out side of military. Prepare to pay out of pocket if need be (noithing is more important than your health. Your doc was right an MRI might open up morr health concerns if it does then he needs to address it (I have never heard of such), tell him to do his job. Which is to do no harm. Bottom line is he needs to be reported after you get a new physician. Feel better

Never once had an issue and I have multiple conditions ! I think most just repeat what a few experience.

Who is the they you are referring to in reference to the MRI?

The Guard must treat these thing differently. I had the same problem couldn’t do sit-ups because of a back problem from my first deployment. My Medical Review Board ordered an MRI so they could identify the problem. Turned out it was 2 herniated discs Sit-ups and long distance running aggravated it but I deployed to Hurricane Katrina wore a vest and helmet walked all over the place with all my battle rattle with no problem so the Board determined that since I could do my job it wasn’t worth the cost of surgery to allow me to do sit-ups and run in shorts ant a T-shirt. They gave me a permanent profile on sit-ups and the run I served about 8 more years and deployed to Iraq with that profile

You need to see a new provider. My provider took care of me and wasn’t concerned with costs

I had a doc jumping through hoops. I have (had) a bad back. He kept trying to ouch narcotic pain killers on me. I refused. He would then bend over backwards to help me.

Another doc, I had cancer. He took me on as a personal mission to make sure I got the care i needed