The functional MRI (fMRI) is a special type of MRI that your doctor may use to examine your brain’s anatomy and blood flow to the various parts of the brain. It serves as an excellent tool for brain damage from injury or degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
MRI of the Joints and Bones
Using an MRI scan, your doctor may be able to assess the following issues, which are often associated with musculoskeletal injuries in the neck, shoulders, back and other body parts
Joint abnormalities caused by the tearing of cartilage or ligaments and other traumatic or repetitive injuries.
- Spinal disc abnormalities
- Bone infections
- Bone and soft tissue tumors
Your clinician*, physician, or physiotherapist may refer you to get an MRI scan done to aid in diagnosing and effectively treating various conditions in the following circumstances or when you exhibit certain symptoms as highlighted
Ongoing pain in the shoulders, back and other body parts that does not seem to get better with treatment
Following a traumatic event that’s caused ligament, cartilage or muscle injury
- Redness, swelling and fluid build-up around a joint
- A locked or dislocated joint
- Muscle weakness, tingling and numbness
- Post-surgical follow-ups after brain surgery or surgery for your skeletal system
- Follow up after other imaging tests such as CT scans and X-ray show abnormal findings
- Discovery of a painful lump in the neck or back
Risks and Caution
For all these reasons why you may need an MRI, safety is always a top priority. To that end, your physician may have to consider alternative diagnostic tools if you have any type of metallic device of fragments in your body. MRI uses powerful magnets, and the metal will be attracted to the magnetic force created during the scan
Being pregnant, and having gone through brain surgery recently, are other reasons why MRI scan may not be for you.
What to Expect
Are you in constant pain because of an undiagnosed disease? Perhaps after sustaining a sports-related injury? Or being involved in an accident or a similar traumatic event?
An MRI scan examines the anatomy and pathology of your skeletal system, tissues and organs, to give a comprehensive diagnostic report. Depending on the purpose of the MRI scan, it can take a couple of minutes or up to 2 hours.
After pinpointing the exact cause of the problem causing your neck, back, or shoulder pain, your physician or physiotherapist can develop a plan to manage or treat the pain.
MRI at Advanced Physicians
When you need professional MRI testing services, trust Advanced Physicians. We are a locally owned facility that is run by a multi-disciplinary team of experts including MDs, PTs, chiropractors, massage therapists, radiologists and experienced MRI techs.
We use Siemens MRI technology, one of the most comfortable techniques in the market. We offer convenient same-day MRI diagnostic results.
