Doctors use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology to diagnose various conditions in patients. Many patients wrongly believe that they require an MRI to determine the cause of their pain. You might be surprised to learn that you do not need an MRI to identify the cause of your pain — at least not for the first few days. However, an MRI offers detailed images of your internal organs if your doctor recommends an MRI for your condition.
An MRI becomes necessary when a CT scan or an X-Ray does not give enough information on the cause of your pain. Your doctor might also advise you to have an MRI if they suspect there is a deeper cause for your pain. You might be experiencing chronic headaches or lower back pain. In this case, your doctor might prescribe a lower back or head MRI scan.
Your doctors could prescribe an MRI scan if it helps determine the ideal treatment for your condition. Neck and spine pains last for four to six weeks, so it is unlikely that your doctor will ask you to undergo an MRI scan just because you are in pain. An MRI could be vital when you experience searing pain, and other scans do not clearly show the cause. Some symptoms are of concern to doctors, especially if they are accompanied by neck, head, or back pains, including fever, weight loss, body weakness, and numbness.
If these conditions continuously worsen, your doctor could advise you to undergo an MRI scan before the 4 to 6 weeks waiting period lapses. Some emergencies, like the inability to control your bodily functions like passing stool and urine, calls for an immediate MRI scan. The doctors will usually order you to undergo an MRI after performing other tests and determining that the MRI is necessary.
What is an MRI Scan?
MRI helps doctors make a diagnosis since the scan produces cross-sectional images of your internal body parts. By using the MRI images and your physical examination, your doctor can identify the cause and source of the pain. The MRI also produces 3D images, which enable your doctor to have a clearer picture of your organs. Your doctor could view the scan from different angles. Another great advantage of an MRI is that it can be used to check many parts of your body. These include:
- The brain
- Blood vessels
- Spine
- Breast
- Pelvis
- Muscles and joints
- Heart
- Liver
Using an MRI to scan different body parts is safe since the procedure does not use radioactive rays, unlike an X-Ray or a CT scan. An MRI is better than a CT scan at showing soft tissue.
Spinal and brain MRI scan
MRI is the preferred imaging test method for brain and spinal diagnosis. Your doctor can easily detect conditions like inner ear and eye disorders, spinal disorders, multiple sclerosis, tumors, and head trauma due to injuries through an MRI. The functional MRI or fMRI is used to detect head problems and determine the functions of various parts of the brain.
Heart and blood vessels MRI
The MRI scan can focus on your heart and the blood vessels. The scan checks the functions and the size of your heart's chambers, any blockage or inflammation of your blood vessels, any damage caused by a heart attack and its extent, and other heart-related conditions that might be causing the pain.
Bone and joint MRI
Although a CT scan or an X-Ray can be used to check bones, an MRI is also very useful, especially in identifying torn ligaments and any soft tissue problems. An MRI effectively identifies abnormalities in your spine disks, any tumors that might be present in the soft tissues in the joints, bone infections, and other related conditions.
Breast MRI
Although mammography is the preferred procedure for identifying any breast anomaly, including cancer, an MRI comes in handy. If you have dense breast tissue, it is quite helpful to have an MRI scan of your breast taken to identify the cause of any anomaly like breast lumps. Physical examination, mammography, and MRI will help your doctor know for sure what the problem is with your breast.
How the MRI Procedure Occurs
MRI scanning is a non-invasive and painless procedure which doctors use to see your internal body parts. Since most MRI scanners are enclosed, it is vital to inform our doctor if you have a phobia of confined spaces. Some people are claustrophobic and are not comfortable inside the MRI. If you are one of them, your doctor might give you sedatives to help you relax.
You will have to lie on your back on a table, which is a part of the MRI scanner during the procedure. The "table" retracts inside the scanner before scanning starts. If you are having a full-body scan, your whole body will go inside the MRI machine. For a head MRI scan, only your head needs to be inside the scanner. It is paramount to remain still during the process, for any movement will blur the images. To help you remain still, the radiologist might strap your head, chest, and arms.
If the procedure needs a contrast dye, the specialist will inject it into you through an IV placed in your arm. The contrast dye runs through the veins and helps the images become clearer. A belt that senses your heartbeat is also strapped around your chest. Although the procedure seems scary, your doctors perform it with utmost care to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Previous MRI machines were deafening. Thanks to technology, the noise level of modern-day MRI machines is low.
You might be wondering if it is possible to communicate while inside the machine? Yes, communication is possible. In most cases, there is an intercom system where the specialist or radiologist can speak to you, and you can talk back to them. They might often instruct you to hold your breath for some time, maybe 6 to 8 seconds. If you cannot hold your breath for this long, you need to inform your doctor before the procedure begins.
At times, communication is through a buzzer where you press if you need to communicate with the specialist. At Los Angeles Diagnostic, you can press the buzzer anytime you feel uncomfortable during the process. To protect your ears from noise, you will be provided with earbuds or given headphones with music. The music helps you block the noise and also relax. Another trick that will help you remain still during the procedure is picturing yourself on the beach or your favorite spot.
Do not worry about the earbuds or the music; you will hear the radiologist as they speak to you over the intercom. You might feel a tingling sensation or a metallic taste in your mouth during the injection of the contrast dye. If this happens, do not worry; it is normal.
An MRI procedure can take between 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the intensity of the procedure. There is usually no need to be admitted after the process if you are not in a critical medical condition. You can go home right after the procedure. If you were under any sedatives, it is advisable to have an adult to drive you home.
Information That You Should Disclose Before Undergoing an MRI Examination
You need to reveal certain information to your doctor before you undergo the MRI scan. You should tell your doctor if you are pregnant. An MRI is not recommended for pregnant women, especially if the pregnancy is less than three months old. Some MRIs require a contrast dye, which can be harmful to the developing fetus.
You should also inform your doctor if you have an allergic reaction to the contrast dye. Since MRI uses a magnetic field, you should not have any metal inside your body. Some objects that might prevent you from having an MRI include a pacemaker, metal joints or limbs, insulin pumps, pins or screws, metal fragments, and some tattoos since some tattoo inks contain metals.
At Los Angeles Diagnostics, you will be informed about the procedure beforehand to make you feel as comfortable as possible. You will also have to sign a consent form that clearly states you understand the procedure’s risks, although they are minimal. If you are going for an abdominal or pelvic MRI, it is advisable not to eat for at least 4 to 5 hours before the procedure.
Although most MRI machines are enclosed, some are open. You can decide to use the open MRI if you are claustrophobic and do not want to take sedatives. An open MRI might not produce detailed images as the enclosed one.
Preparation of The MRI Scan
During the MRI scan, you will most often be dressed in a hospital gown. You might be requested to remove all your clothes depending on the part of the body on which the doctors are performing the scan. Although most hospitals ensure that your personal effects are safe, it is better to leave them at home or at the care of a loved one who has accompanied you to the hospital.
It is also possible that you do not understand the instructions either due to a hearing condition or because you do not understand the language. In that case, you should let the doctors know so that they can make the proper arrangements. The hospital can find you an interpreter or a sign language specialist who will translate what the doctors say.
If you are under any medication, you should take your medication as usual, even before undergoing the MRI scan. However, you should go with the full list of the medication you are using. The list will help the doctors know if the drugs will cause any trouble should you require a sedative to help you relax.
The Benefits of An MRI Scan
Since an MRI scan produces detailed images, it can identify varying issues that other imaging procedures cannot. A head MRI, for example, will help determine the extent of the head damage. The head damage might be a result of a stroke or trauma. The pain might be a result of internal bleeding, which the MRI will help identify.
It is also possible that your heart, blood vessels, or aorta are damaged. Through an MRI, it becomes easy for the doctors to identify the issue. Neck and back lower pain is an issue that afflicts many people. Such pains might be a result of bad sitting or sleeping posture. In such a case, there might not be a need to have an MRI. This is because once you sit in the right posture or sleep in the correct position, the pain usually disappears.
Should the pain increase, your doctor could advise you to undergo an MRI scan to identify spine or neck problems. It is also safe to have an MRI on your bladder, hips, reproductive system, and pelvis since you are not at any risk of radiation.
Risk Factors of An MRI Scan
It is highly unlikely that you will experience any side effects during and after an MRI. You should be good to go after the procedure unless you are allergic to the contrast dye. Some people might experience headaches and nausea at a mild level. You might also develop a skin rash or dizziness.
If you are pregnant, the doctor will not use the contrast dye, especially for women whose pregnancy is less than three months. The contractor dye might affect the development of the fetus's organs. The doctors will not use the contrast dye on you if you have kidney disease. The use of the dye might cause a condition known as nephrogenic sclerosing fibrosis.
Another risk factor is the building up of the dye in your body. To mitigate this risk, you should drink a lot of water after the MRI to flush out the dye out of your system.
MRI Can Help Identify the Early Onset of Parkinson Disease
The University of Kentucky is currently studying the use of MRI to identify the early onset of Parkinson's disease. At present, a person is diagnosed as having the disease once they start manifesting certain symptoms such as losing coordination and movement. The patient's movements slow down, and they also experience tremors and stiffness. The symptoms appear as a result of changes in the brain. Using MRI to detect these changes earlier on will help the doctors reduce the rate at which the disease progresses.
Challenge of Evaluating an MRI Scan
Your doctor might find an abnormality in the MRI scan. However, it is baffling that the abnormality might not be the cause of your pain. According to statistics, 3 out of 10 people in their 30s and 40s have a lumbar disc herniation, although they experience no pain. A doctor has to rely on other information in addition to the MRI scans to diagnose the problem.
Other information that a doctor as a diagnosis includes your symptoms and neurological deficit. Some symptoms like the severity of the pain, duration, and location might give the doctor quite a good idea of where the problem lies.
Find an MRI Service Provider Near Me
If you are looking for a reliable MRI service provider in Los Angeles, look no further than Los Angeles Diagnostics. We use state of the art equipment and have highly qualified personnel. We take pride in producing high-resolution images, which gives your doctor an easy time pinpointing the exact cause of your pain. At Los Angeles Diagnostics, we understand that time is of the essence when it comes to medical issues. That is why we deliver results to you within 48 to 72 hours so that your doctor can proceed with the treatment. You can reach us at 323-486-7502 around the clock.
