Most episodes of lower back pain are not caused by damage you can see on a scan. They are caused by tissue that got loaded faster than it was ready for.
Movement beats rest
Beyond the first day or two, prolonged rest makes back pain worse. Gentle, graded movement restores confidence and blood flow far faster than lying still.
Imaging rarely changes the plan
Disc bulges and degenerative changes show up on scans of people with zero pain. Unless there are red flags, imaging usually adds anxiety without changing treatment.
Build capacity, not just 'core'
Planks alone will not fix a back that cannot tolerate a hinge. We build hip strength, trunk endurance, and the ability to load the spine in the positions your day and your sport actually demand.
If your back pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks, or it keeps coming back, that is the point to get it looked at properly.