Spine MRI Scans

The discs between your vertebrae act as shock absorbers, diffusing pressure and allowing for smooth, pain-free movement. However, over time, these discs can wear and tear, leading to a condition known as disc disease.

MRI scans can be a powerful tool in understanding the health of your discs and their potential role in your back pain. 

• Assess Disc Health: Unlike X-rays, which primarily image bone, MRI scans excel at visualizing the soft tissues within your spine, including the discs. They can reveal the overall health of the discs, assessing their water content, integrity, and any signs of degeneration. Degeneration refers to the breakdown of the disc's internal structure, making it less effective at absorbing shock and potentially leading to pain.

• Detect Disc Herniation: Imagine a disc as a jelly donut. The jelly-like center is surrounded by a tough, fibrous outer ring. When this outer ring weakens due to degeneration or injury, the jelly-like center can bulge outward, creating a herniation. MRI scans effectively visualize disc herniations, revealing their location and size. A herniated disc can press on nearby spinal nerves, causing pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling that radiates along the path of the affected nerve (radiculopathy).

• Reveal Tears and Fissures: In addition to herniation, MRI scans can detect tears or fissures within the disc. These tears can occur due to sudden movements, repetitive stress, or simply the wear and tear of daily life. Tears within the disc can irritate surrounding nerves and contribute to pain.

Radiculopathy is the medical term for the burning, aching, or tingling pain that radiates along a specific nerve pathway. This pain arises when the root of a spinal nerve is compressed. Here’s how MRI scans can help diagnose details of radiculopathy.

• Identify the Cause: MRI scans provide a detailed picture of the spinal canal, the bony tunnel that houses the spinal cord and nerve roots. They can reveal abnormalities like disc herniations, bone spurs (bony growths on the vertebrae), or narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis) that might be compressing a nerve root. By visualizing the location and severity of the compression, MRI scans empower your healthcare provider to determine the exact cause of your radiculopathy.
• Identify the affected Nerve Root: MRI scans can not just identify the compression, they can also trace the affected nerve root. Since each nerve root follows a specific path, identifying the compressed nerve root allows your healthcare provider to understand which part of your body might be experiencing the radiating pain, numbness, or weakness associated with radiculopathy.

Spinal tumors are uncommon; however, they can cause significant symptoms and require prompt attention. Spinal tumors may be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), and they can originate in the spine or spread from other areas of the body.

In the United States, an estimated 10,000 cases of metastatic spinal cord tumors and 7,500 new cases of primary spinal tumors are diagnosed annually. Metastatic tumors are more common than primary tumors, accounting for 97% of all spinal tumors. Benign primary spinal tumors are rare, accounting for only 0.5% of newly diagnosed tumors, and malignant primary spinal tumors are even less common.

MRI scans are crucial in detecting and evaluating spinal tumors. They offer detailed images that help identify the presence, size, and location of tumors. Early detection through MRI can significantly influence treatment decisions and outcomes.

Accidents or injuries can wreak havoc on your spine, causing hidden fractures, ligament tears, or misalignment of the vertebrae. These injuries can be challenging to diagnose with traditional x-rays, which primarily focus on bones. However, MRI scans offer a lifeline, revealing even subtle abnormalities within the complex structures of your spine.

• Identify Hidden Fractures: Fractures, especially small hairline fractures, can sometimes be missed on x-rays. MRI scans, with their detailed view of bones, can effectively identify even subtle fractures within the vertebrae, allowing for prompt diagnosis and proper immobilization to promote healing.
• Detect Ligament Tears: Ligaments act like strong bands connecting the vertebrae, providing stability to your spine. Tears in these ligaments can occur due to sudden impact or trauma. While x-rays do not show these soft tissues, MRI scans excel at visualizing ligament tears, allowing for a more comprehensive evaluation of your spinal injury.
• Check for Proper Alignment: The correct alignment of your vertebrae is crucial for optimal spinal health. MRI scans provide a clear picture of the vertebral alignment, revealing any misalignments that might have occurred due to an injury. This information is vital for developing a treatment plan that focuses on realignment and restoring proper spinal function.

Spinal infections can cause severe pain, weakness, and even neurological symptoms. While they are not very common, they can be a serious concern. 

Infections within the spine often cause inflammation of the surrounding tissues. MRI scans excel at detecting this inflammation. Infections can sometimes lead to a buildup of fluid within the spinal canal or around the spinal cord. MRI scans can effectively visualize this fluid accumulation, providing another crucial clue for diagnosing a spinal infection.

By revealing signs of inflammation and fluid buildup, MRI scans empower your healthcare provider to suspect a spinal infection and take prompt action with appropriate antibiotics to combat the infection and minimize long-term complications.