What is an MRI??



So growing up I've always had back problems, and I've gone to probably over a dozen chiropractors for them. I've always been a very athletic person all through high school and even after I've gone on to college.  I played basketball, soccer and ran a lot in my free time which most chiropractors say is the root of all a lot of my back problems.  Last summer I tore my acl and meniscus in my left knee playing softball, in which I had to get surgery done to repair it.  Was differently a bummer deal, I've never had surgery before and has put a huge dent on my athletics.  My left knee just hasn't been then same since the surgery, and now in fact I find myself when standing putting my weight on my right side. Two weeks ago on Saturday morning I woke up and felt my feet kind of having a tingly feeling in them, but really didn't think much of it.   As the day progressed into night it got worse and worse.  My feet felt like they still had the numb feeling to them but when I moved them they had a prickly sensation to them which the numb feeling continued up my legs and especially on my left side it was more prominent.  I had a very had time walking the first 3 or 4 days of this numbness.  It felt like I was helplessly drunk trying to walk with "prickly" numb feet, its a horrible feeling.  I ended up going to the ER the 3rd night of it because this had never happen to me before and I was scared that something was differently wrong.  Ended up the ER found nothing sick wise wrong with me, but all 3 doctors that I went to were sure it was a pinched nerve in my back and I was instructed to get an MRI.  EH! An MRI!  And this is were our story begins.....

So what actually is an MRI?  An MRI or magnetic resonance imaging, is the use of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to produce high electronic images of specific atoms and molecular structures in solids, especially human cells, soft tissues, and organs.   MRI is ideal for diagnosing multiple sclerosis, tumors, brain infections, torn ligaments, shoulder injuries, bone tumors, cysts or even strokes in their earliest stages.  Conditions that may be apparent from physical signs and symptoms may be clearly seen, providing better information to determine appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Meaning if you have a Torin ligament, cartilage or in my care nerve damage it can only be seen using MRI images.  X rays only posses the ability to view photos of bone or very hard tissue which is hard to make prognoses for soft tissue. 

When taking a MRI the patient comes into the room where the machine is.  The patient is instructed to have NO METAL on of any kind. When you are actually ready to have the MRI you will be asked to lie down on what is kind of like a long metal tray board attached to the long cylinder MRI machine. Depending on the part of the body to be scanned - you might or might not have your head inside the cylinder.  This becomes an issue for many people (including myself) who are claustrophobic seeing the inside cylinder is probably 2 to 3 feet around width wise and maybe 5 ft in length.  Which gets pretty tight, and the best way I can describe is is being pushed into a coffin. 

From there when you are placed in a MRI machine you will hear a variety of noises. I always relate these noises to men breaking up cement with those very noisy drills. These noises although very annoying to you, are very necessary for achieving a reading on the MRI scan. While you are in the machine and being scanned you need to lay very still. You can not move. If you move you will ruin the image or picture the technician is taking and it will have to be repeated.  And trust me you do not want to have to be in this machine any more time then you need to be, so my advice LYE VERY VERY STILL!  The whole process does not hurt you,  It is a non-invasive test. The only thing it will do is annoy you with the loud noise it makes through out the test. And I don't know about other people but I can feel sort of feeling as if I was in between two gigantic magnets fields pulling.

The best way in which I keep clam is to keep my eyes tightly closed and never open them while I'm inside the canister. That's the best way I think to get Thu it.  Sometimes they have ear phones you can listen to, which the previous MRI I had to do did.  If you are really claustrophobic you need to inform your ordering doctor about this fact. A sedative will be arranged for you to take before you reach the MRI Center. Always bring someone with you to drive and make sure you get home safely if you have taken a drug.  There are some open MRI machines and these are especially useful for people who are claustrophobic. I was just recently told by an MRI technician, although people prefer the open MRI machines, they are not as accurate in the testing results as the enclosed MRI machine. Which in fact I got to use one of the open machines to do my last MRI in, it helped more in the claustrophobic but I still had it.  The sides of the machine were open.  The best way I can put it is looking like a huge hamburger and you being slide in between the two buns.

MRIs have changed a lot from when they were first done On July 3, 1977.  It took almost five hours to produce one image. The images were, by today's standards, quite ugly.  Now a days it takes ruffly 35 minutes to an hour to take multiple images and complete the whole process.  I don't know if you couldn't get my take on MRI's but I am totally not a fan of them.  I get totally stressed out over the whole or deal and especially when they put me on the table and I look at the coffin looking hole there about to stick me into for an hour.  I start feeling my heart beating that its about to jump out of my chest, sweating horribly.  At the same time I know that if I don't do it, the problem I have going on with my feet and legs aren't going to get fixed and it a vital that I get the images done. This is now my 3rd MRI I've had to do.  First one was because I was in a car wreck for my back, 2nd was for when I tore my ACL which I acutally didn't have to go all the way into the MRI machine just my feet did.  And now this time for my numbness in the lower half of my body.  If you are ever in the situation that you have to have an MRI done I hope this short piece has answered a few questions and makes you prepared for whats in store for you.

 Photo of an open MRI