If you have suffered a back injury or complained of chronic back pain to your doctor, you may have been scheduled to undergo MRI imaging of your back. MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, was pioneered in the 1970s and offers an unparalleled opportunity to peer into the deepest portions of the human body. MRI is commonly used to assess back injuries as it is non-invasive and generates a high-resolution image. This short guide will help you better understand the device, the procedure, and how it can help both you and your spine surgeon in Chennai.
MRIs are used to visualize the internal structure and functioning of the body. They do this by means of a large, supercooled magnet. This magnet harmlessly aligns the hydrogen atoms of the water present in the body. These aligned particles are detected by a scanner and the resultant information is processed by a computer and rendered as a two-dimensional image.
Though it may seem frightening that extremely powerful magnets are aligning atoms within your body, it is important to remember that the fields alone can do no harm to you. The only danger directly posed by this field is that it can damage or destroy any metallic and electronic implants, such as pacemakers and artificial joints, and that it can rip jewelery from the body. Your technician, of course, will be sure to remind you to remove all metal objects from your body.
When the procedure begins, you will be asked to lie down on a narrow, rail-mounted table. This table will be moved into a tube at the center of the MRI device. The magnets are installed, like a donut, around this slender tube. Several images will likely be taken, each one requiring around two to fifteen minutes to process. A full back scan may take up to an hour to complete. You will experience no pain, but some people become anxious while waiting in the tube.
Claustrophobic patients who have trouble remaining still may be administered a sedative to calm them and still their body. You may also have a substance called gadolinium injected into your bloodstream. This is used as a contrast dye, and it will help make the vascular tissue in your back more visible in the final images. If you are pregnant, you should not receive this dye as it can potentially harm your unborn baby.
The procedure will ultimately generate images depicting in high resolution the bony segments, spinal canal, and soft tissue (such as disks and ligaments) of your spine. This will allow a doctor to assess the health and condition of your spine and administer a treatment either to help it heal or reduce your back pain.
