Diagnosing an internal ailment through the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been in practice for over thirty years. A traditional recumbent MRI machine requires the patient to lay flat on a table, surrounded by a tube-housed superconducting magnet, and stay as still as possible for the duration of the procedure. This process is very noisy, claustrophobic, and uncomfortable. The possibility now exists for patients to avoid this nuisance through the use of an open, or positional MRI. By visiting a diagnostic imaging center Minneapolis MN, patients can leave the awkwardness of a traditional scan behind and enjoy the benefits of an open MRI.
An MRI machine is used by physicians to examine and measure internal physical changes without cutting into the human body. Through the use of magnetic fields, an MRI can create a three-dimensional image that is far more detailed than an x-ray or CAT scan. In the past, a patient using a recumbent MRI machine might have received results that were not quite accurate. Advances in technology now allow patients of medical imaging Minneapolis MN the option of using an open MRI to recreate the position or motion of pain. By scanning the patient in a weight-bearing position, the open MRI can better reveal an abnormality that is the result of a specific stance or movement. The options of standing, sitting, leaning, or bending during the scan ensure that the patient no longer has to deal with the claustrophobia associated with an MRI. This freedom of movement helps the machine identify the specific problem because it is catching the pain as it is occurring. The spaciousness of the open MRI also eliminates the typical weight restrictions that can prevent larger patients from receiving treatment. Any person under five hundred pounds is able to use the machine and doesn’t have to be concerned about functionality problems attributed to their size. Another benefit of the diagnostic imaging center Minneapolis MN is that the scans are drug free. No dyes or contrast materials are injected or ingested to enhance the scan. Patients do not have to worry about any possible drug related side effects that can be caused by enhancement chemicals.
