MRI for Spines: Using MRI Scans To Detect Abnormalities of the Spine

The spine is perhaps one of the most vital parts of the body. Not only does it protects the thin and fibrous spinal cord, but it also supports the entire body. It’s only important, then, to diagnose possible problems with your spine before it gets worse. One way of detecting abnormalities with the spine is by undergoing a spinal MRI scan.

Assessing Spinal Structures

MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, makes use of radio waves, a magnetic field, and a computer in producing detailed pictures of the spine and its surrounding tissues. The images produced by MRI scans will then be assessed, and an anatomical cause of the patient’s back pain can be determined.

In itself, however, MRI cannot distinguish between painful and non-painful structures in the spine. That’s why physicians would correlate the MRI findings with the patient’s physical exam and symptoms to make the proper diagnosis. Furthermore, these physicians turn to the images produced by MRI scans if conservative treatment for a patient’s back pain fails to work.

Spinal Problems Revealed 

Physicians often look for specific information when ordering an MRI scan. For instance, the physician may be looking for issues with spinal alignment, vertebral body configuration, and spinal canal size, among others. MRI scans may also reveal injuries or damages caused by spinal trauma, or even provide a closer look at disk degeneration.

More than a diagnostic tool, however, MRI scans are also used in planning spinal surgical procedures, especially for patients suffering from a pinched nerve or spinal fusion. It can also be used to monitor subtle changes in the patient’s spine after undergoing an operation.

With these uses, MRI scans prove to be indispensable when it comes to treating a patient’s spinal problems.




Sources:

MRI Scan of the Spine, Spine-health.com

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – Spine, RadiologyInfo.org