MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. It is a conventional medical imaging test that uses a combination of magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the soft tissues in your body. To understand what will show up on an MRI, it may be helpful to understand how MRI works.
How does magnetic resonance imaging work?
Your body is made up mostly of water. Protons within hydrogen atoms in H2O are magnetic. Subjected to the powerful scanner magnets in the MRI machine, the protons line up in the same direction.
Quick bursts of radio waves are then sent to areas of the body. These bursts bump the protons out of alignment. When the radio waves are turned off, the protons realign. This sends out radio signals, which are picked up by receivers and provide the precise location of the protons in the body. Protons in different types of tissue realign at different speeds and produce identifiable signals. This helps the technician distinguish between the different types of tissue in the body.
What can it examine?
Many believe an MRI takes pictures of the soft tissue. In reality, it’s more complex; it’s the signals from the millions of protons in the body that are creating the detailed images. An MRI scan can be used to examine almost any part of the body, including the:
- brain and spinal cord
- breasts
- nerves, muscles and tendons
- heart and blood vessels
- internal organs
Since MRI scans pick up the water, or fluid, contained in the body tissue, swelling and inflammation are usually easily identifiable on these images. Tendonitis, for example, will show up on an MR scan because of the fluid and swelling that goes along with it.
What injuries can a scan detect?
An MRI scan can help doctors make a diagnosis, develop a treatment plan, and assess how the treatment plan is going for many ailments including:
- brain injury
- injuries of the joints, such as a torn meniscus in the knee
- musculoskeletal issues
- nerve pain, including pinched nerves
- spinal conditions such as fractures, spinal cord compression, and herniated discs
Can an MRI detect disease?
An MRI scan can be used for the early detection of many diseases, due to the high-quality image resolution taken of soft tissues. An MRI scan of the head and neck can show your doctor if you are at risk of brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, dementia, infection, or stroke, to name a few.
A functional MRI is a special kind of MRI that checks your brain’s activity by means of measuring the flow of blood to the different parts of your brain. It can determine the extent of brain injury due to trauma or even the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
An MRI performed on the heart helps identify swelling or blockages in the blood vessels, heart valve problems, heart attack damage, and tumors in the heart’s chambers and walls. MRIs are also helpful in detecting breast cancer as well as many other cancers.
An MRI will help determine the size of a tumor and determine if it has spread. For those who have already gone through treatment and chemotherapy, it can also be used to see if the cancer treatment is working.
It’s a safe, no-radiation procedure
Millions of MRI scans are performed in the US each year. It is a safe procedure that emits zero radiation and exists for your health and well-being. MRI scans are incredibly adept at picking up any change that takes place in soft tissue or cartilage due to injuries, aging, or disease.
Contact UMI for more information regarding MRIs or any other medical imaging needs you may have. The quality of your medical imaging is everything to us.