Imaging is a very important part of the process of diagnosing degenerative disc disease. MRI diagnosis will help your doctor get a better idea of issues that may be affecting your spine and help you and your doctor understand what is causing your back or neck pain.
What is MRI Diagnosis?
MRI diagnosis is the most common way to diagnose degenerative disc disease. It’s more reliable than X-rays or CT scans, especially when organs or soft tissue need to be examined. In addition to this, it doesn’t use ionizing radiation, making it safer.2
MRI diagnosis generates detailed images of organs and structures inside the body that would otherwise be difficult to see. The MRI machine does this by creating a strong magnetic field around the patient. This magnetic field then changes the natural alignment of hydrogen atoms within the body. A scanner then sends pulses of radio waves to move the nuclei out of position, and as they realign back into their normal position, the nuclei send out radio signals. A computer then receives these signals and uses them to analyze and translate them into two-dimensional images of the organ or body structure.2
Common reasons to use MRI Diagnosis for the spine
- Examination for degenerative diseases.
- Encephalomyelitis (inflammation or infection of the spinal cord).
- Herniation or disc degeneration.
- Planning surgeries on the spine, such as spinal fusion.2
- Assessing spine anatomy and alignment.
- Assessment of trauma or injury.
- Detecting disc or joint disease.
- Assessing compression or inflammation of the spinal cord and surrounding nerves.
- Detecting tumors in the vertebrae, spinal cord, or nearby soft tissues.1
Before undergoing MRI, you should be aware that although the procedure itself is painless, the process of scanning can last between 30 minutes to two hours. Having to lie still for that length of time may cause discomfort or pain for some people. This may be the case if you have recently been injured or undergone a surgical procedure.2
Benefits and Risks
Because MRI uses ionizing radiation, there’s no risk of exposure to radiation, which is a common concern for techniques like X-ray or CT scans.2 MRI also tends to produce the highest quality images of the spine when compared to other techniques. This allows MRI to reveal abnormalities, injuries, or diseases that may not be detectable by other imaging methods.1
MRI is also able to detect abnormalities that would usually be obscured by bone in other imaging methods. The gadolinium contrast material used for MRI is also less likely to cause an allergic reaction than the material used for X-rays and CT scans. This is what makes MRI the best method for assessing a patient’s potential for complications from surgery.1
Unfortunately, MRI has risks and issues associated with it as well, such as the potential of a complication due to the use of gadolinium contrast. Gadolinium contrast is less likely to cause complications than other contrasts, but if you have kidney disease, the contrast could cause nephrogenic systemic fibrosis.2
Other issues include potential problems with implanted devices like cochlear implants or pacemakers caused by the strong magnet used. If you are claustrophobic you may have issues as well due to the imaging process taking place inside of a tube. In these cases, medication will be provided to you before the examination.
Finally, while there is no scientific information that shows that MRI harms unborn children, doctors still discourage MRI testing during the first trimester of pregnancy, so you should notify your doctor if you are pregnant or suspect that you are pregnant.2
Limitations
There are many benefits of using MRI diagnosis instead of other imaging techniques, but some limitations still exist, such as the fact that not all patients are eligible for this examination, especially if they have internal metal objects such as surgical clips, plates, screws, or wire mesh.2
The quality of the images that MRI can provide depends on your ability to lie still and follow the examiner’s breath-holding instructions for the duration of the recording. This may be an issue if you experience anxiety or are in pain, as it may prevent you from lying still.
An irregular heartbeat may even affect the quality of MRI images as well, because the imaging may be timed based on the activity of the heart.1
Overall, MRI is a very safe imaging method and is one of the best methods for detecting or diagnosing spine issues.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – Spine. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=spinemr
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Spine and Brain. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri-of-the-spine-and-brain
