Lumbosacral spine MRI

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Lumbar vertebrae

MRI scans

There is no pain. The magnetic field and radio waves are not felt. Some people experience a claustrophobic feeling from being inside the scanner. The table may be hard or cold, but you can request a blanket or pillow.

The machine produces loud thumping and humming noises during normal operation. Ear plugs are usually given to the patient to reduce the noise. A technologist observes the patient during the entire procedure and may be spoken to through an intercom in the scanner. Some MRI scanners are equipped with televisions and special headphones to help the examination time pass.

Too much movement can blur MRI images and cause errors in the image. If the patient has difficulty lying still or is very anxious, they may be given medicine to relax them (a sedative), by mouth or through a vein. There is no recovery, unless sedation was necessary. After an MRI scan, you can continue normal diet, activity, and medications.

After plain x-rays of the lower spine, MRI is usually the next noninvasive imaging test a doctor will use to look into back pain and spreading leg pain. MRI is excellent at showing degenerative changes, such as from arthritis, which may be narrowing the spaces through which the spinal nerves travel.

In addition, MRI can show disease of the lumbar discs that may be bulging and compressing the spinal cord.

An MRI may be done after traumatic injury to rule out acute compression of the spinal cord, if weakness or paralysis exist. MRI is also better than CT scans in the evaluation of abscesses, tumors, or other masses near the spinal cord. While CT is better at detecting fractures of the vertebrae, MRI can detect slight changes in the bone which may be due to infection or tumor.

Review Date: 10/25/2006
Reviewed By: Stuart Bentley-Hibbert, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.