How does an MRI work?

V

vine_08

New member
There is a possibility I may get an MRI of the head/neck at some point.

I have a question about the magnetic field. Would the magnet only be focused on the head area and therefore only affect said area, or does it exert a powerful magnetic effect on the whole body, regardless?

For instance if an older person needed an MRI of the head/neck but had an implant in the lower body containing ferrous metal, would that be affected?

Just wondering. I can get a better grasp of something by asking "silly questions" if you will, but that's due to a few dyslexic learning patterns.

Hoping for a response,
Benit
 
A lot of this scares me, for example suppose I have a piece of metal somewhere in my body from debris when I accidentally wounded my arm as a child, not saying it's likely, just that this whole MRI thing is freaking me out.

I know they say if you're nervous when you enter the MRI room, they give you a sedative, but that would not prevent getting injured from some kind of metal debris in the body.

Are there any other tests for the head/neck region that are--say--even 50% as useful as an MRI?

Can CT scans detect structural problems such as aneurysms, malformations causing CSF blockage, slipped disks in the C.spine, inflamed blood vessels, etc?
 
Yes, an MRI can affect metal in any part of your body. A large metal object on the other side of the room is dangerous to the MRI patient.

Whether you can have an MRI depends on what type of metal it is and how big. Ask an expert.
 
Hi Benit I recently had a MRI of my head and neck region. I have had an ankle fusion so my Neuroligist called the surgeon that performed my fusion. He said the metal in my fusion was compatable with an MRI and wouldnt cause any problems.
I hope this is helpful.

Nadine
 
I had an MRI of my cervical spine just last week and am expecting to have one on my thoracic spine shortly. And I've had them on my shoulders and my wrists and lumbar spine and both MRI's and MRA's of my brain. Think I'm up to around 30 MRI's

I also have total knee replacement implants in both knees, screws in my shoulder and my neck is fused with 20 screws and 2 long rods.

The knees can't have MRI's as the metal wouldn't come flying out of my body but would heat up so much that they would burn the insides of my knees. But I can have an MRI anywhere but there.

The shoulders have screws but I had an MRI just 6 weeks after surgery and it was fine. I just needed 6 weeks to make sure they were secure and the magnets wouldn't work them loose. Too small to heat up and cause trouble.

And the neck is all titanium screws and rods and titanium doesn't react to the magnets so I can have all the MRI's I want(and need).

The only thing they ever ask about it moveable metal such as medication pumps under the skin or metal aneurysm clips. They ask about metal fragments that might have entered your eyes.

They will ask you about all sorts of things that might interfere with the test if ordered. And if there are any questions, they will ask your doc. They start the test VERY slowly taking like 1 picture at a time to make sure you are okay and you have an emergency button in your hand at all times to alert them to stop immediately.

Don't be afraid...they are very careful and if you can't have an MRI, they will find some other way to get pictures even if they aren't as good. CT's do a good job but for soft tissues, MRI's are the best. My doc likes to use both together.

So even if you think you might have gotten some metal in you, that can be detected by x-rays first. And implants or screws are fine as long as they have had time to heal into place.

Please don't be scared.

Jenny
 
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