If You Have Back Pain, the Road to Relief Starts with an MRI

Because it’s the foundation of your musculoskeletal system, you rely on your back for support, mobility, and range of motion. So when back pain strikes, it can limit your life in some very significant ways, which makes finding relief paramount. The road to relief depends on an accurate diagnosis of your back pain, and there’s no better tool than an MRI.

At Precise MRI of Michigan, our team of qualified technicians offers a wide range of MRI services using the latest technology available. In providing the very best tools in the MRI field, our goal is to ensure that each patient who walks through our doors gets the answers they need, quickly and comfortably.

If you’ve been experiencing back pain, here’s a look at why an MRI should be your first step.

MRI 101

Before we get into the benefits of an MRI for diagnosing your back pain, let’s take a quick look at MRI technology and why it rises above the rest in terms of accurately identifying your problem.

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging, which relies on magnetic fields and radiofrequency energy to create an image of both the hard and soft tissues in your body. This noninvasive and painless procedure generates 3D digital images of the target area, allowing your doctor to precisely and accurately diagnose the source of your pain. Unlike CT scans or X-rays, we don’t use any radiation when performing an MRI.

To further ensure your comfort, we offer the latest MRI equipment, including the MAGNETOM® Espree by Siemens, which is an open MRI unit. Traditionally, you’re placed inside a tube for an MRI, which allows the imaging equipment to encircle you in order to get a complete picture of what’s going on inside your body. With our open MRI, as the name implies, you’re no longer confined in a small space, giving you the freedom to truly relax during this painless procedure.

An MRI and your back pain

One of the primary reasons why an MRI is so beneficial for diagnosing back pain is that the problem can stem from either the soft or hard tissues in your spine. At the heart of your spine are 33 vertebrae, which are separated by 23 discs. Keeping everything together are a host of supportive tissues, such as ligaments and muscles. 

Your spine is divided into three parts: cervical (neck), thoracic (midback), and lumbar (lower back). With an MRI, we’re able to capture the entire structure of your spine which allows your doctor to accurately identify the soft or hard tissues that are causing your pain. 

As an example, an MRI is an excellent tool for diagnosing problems in the discs in your lower back, the lumbar spine, such as herniations or compressions. We even offer a weight-bearing simulation for your lumbar spine, which recreates the pressures your spine is under when you’re standing. This is especially important for lower back pain, which tends to flare in certain positions.

The bottom line is that if you’d like to get relief from your back pain more quickly, it’s helpful to begin with a more precise diagnostic step — an MRI. To learn more, contact our office in Lathrup Village, Michigan. Just call us or use our online booking tool while you’re here on the website.

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