I live with and am one of the primary caretakers for my 80 year old grandmother, who — among other health issues — has been experiencing memory problems. Her general practitioner wanted her to get an MRI. She refused, saying she was too claustrophobic. Recently, she has been having headaches and neck pain, and another doctor asked her to get an MRI, suspecting nerve damage. Again, she refused.
Hoping that logic and information would succeed where her doctors’ requests have failed, I started to do some research.
MRI is an abbreviation for magnetic resonance imaging. It is a way of getting detailed pictures of different parts of the body — just the way CAT scans and x-rays do. Basically, an MRI scanner is a large magnet. An antenna sends signals to your body and reads the changes in the magnetic field. With an MRI, you can get detailed pictures of just about any part of your body at any angle necessary.
The advantage of an MRI is that the scanners can see soft tissue like the brain, spinal cord, and nerves in much more detail than an x-ray or CAT scan. Other soft tissue like muscles and ligaments are seen in amazing detail using an MRI. Another advantage is that no radiation or x-rays are involved in the scan.
If you are sent for an MRI, you will first need to remove all the metal from your body. Jewelry, watches, credit cards, and even pens can be damaged by the strength of the magnet. Metal can also interfere with the readings on the magnetic field, resulting in poor pictures.
Your doctor may not suggest an MRI if you have an implanted medical device like a pacemaker or cochlear implant.
During the scan, you will most likely be lying on a moving table. The table brings you into the center of the magnet for the scan. The table may vibrate slightly while the scanner is taking the pictures. Some MRI scanners may produce a loud, knocking sort of noise, and you may be offered earplugs for comfort. It is important that you stay as still as possible during the scan; moving can blur the pictures. In some cases, you may be injected with a contrast agent that will help improve the pictures.
If claustrophobia is preventing you from getting an MRI, take heart. A doctor or hospital in your area may have an open MRI machine, rather than the traditional closed MRI. You may want to ask your doctor about prescribing a sedative to help you stay calm on the day of the test.