Magnetic resonance imaging, more commonly known as an MRI, is an imaging test that first appeared in the 1930s. Although it was not actively used in the medical field until the early 70s, it soon became popular and widely used among hospitals after doctors realized MRIs detect disc disease and other medical issues in their patients. They discovered that when a problem occurred in a patient’s body, MRI would emit a unique signal that was different from the surrounding healthy tissue.
Unlike CT scans and X-rays, MRI does not use radiation to scan the body. Rather, it uses a magnet – a safer technique – to examine the water molecules inside a patient’s body which allows doctors to envision soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, tendons, and spinal discs.
MRI can provide valuable information regarding disc shape, disc height, endplate erosion, pinched nerves, and disc hydration. Today, more than 60 million MRI tests are executed every year, providing useful and potentially life-saving medical information to both doctors and patients.
MRIs and Degenerative Disc Disease
So, can MRIs detect disc disease? The short answer is yes. MRI can be used to evaluate the spinal canal, the alignment of the spine, and the neural structures within the spine which are all important characteristics in the diagnosis of back pain you are experiencing. This is not possible with basic X-rays or CT scans.
Degenerative disc disease is associated with the dehydration of spinal discs, which can be identified through the use of MRI. When looking at images of a spine that are developed by an MRI, abnormal discs will appear darkened with levels of deflation; this correlates with the loss of hydration in a disc – a major sign of degenerative disc disease.
However, a dark disc on MRI does not directly correlate with degenerative disc disease. This could also indicate disc herniation, disc protrusion, or just a simple side effect of aging. Therefore, diagnosing degenerative disc disease cannot rely solely on imaging tests. To receive an accurate diagnosis, doctors must use a combination of these tests with the analysis of a patient’s medical history and careful physical examination.
MRI plays an important, although not exclusive, role in the diagnosis of degenerative disc disease. This imaging test can be a wonderful tool in the investigation of back pain, and the identification of dark discs could be useful in the first steps of diagnosing degenerative disc disease. However, MRI should be accompanied by a patient’s detailed medical history and physical examination in order to receive an accurate diagnosis.
