Preparing for an MRI: What to Expect and Tips for a Comfortable Experience

If your doctor has ordered an MRI, you might be wondering what to expect, or unsure what to do to make it comfortable. You’ll be glad that MRI preparation is easier than you may realize. This MRI patient guide will help you prepare for your MRI and get the most out of your imaging.

What Is an MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of medical imaging. Like other types of medical imaging, an MRI creates pictures of your internal organs from the outside of your body.

How Does MRI Technology Work?

MRI uses powerful magnets, radio waves, and a computer to create images. A ring of magnets forms an open hole or tube in the MRI machine. These magnets create a strong magnetic field around your body. This magnetic field aligns the positively charged particles inside atoms, known as protons. More specifically, it aligns the protons in your body’s water molecules.

Protons are constantly spinning. The magnets stop the protons from spinning and align them to all point in the same direction. The radio waves then make the protons spin out of alignment. When the radio waves are turned off, the protons resume their normal spinning patterns and emit signals. The computer inside an MRI uses these signals to create images.

Common Areas Scanned During an MRI

An MRI can create images of almost every body part, including your brain, spine, joints, pelvis, abdomen, blood vessels, and breasts. Commonly scanned areas of the body include:

• Abdomen
• Cervical spine (uppermost part of the spine)
• Lumbar spine (lowermost part of the spine)
• Chest
• Brain
• Pelvis, which is between the abdomen and the hips
• Blood vessels
• 
  

What to Expect for a Spine MRI

You can expect an MRI of the spine to be relatively easy and comfortable. The biggest drawbacks are that the space inside the machine is a bit tight, the MRI is a little noisy, and you’ll need to lie completely still during the test. Unless you have trouble staying still or are especially claustrophobic, an MRI of the spine is generally comfortable.

If you experience pain or claustrophobia that makes lying still or going into the MRI uncomfortable, notify your referring provider before the exam. They may be able to prescribe a sedative or pain reliever to help you stay comfortable.

Before your test, the technicians will ask if you have a pacemaker, stents, heart valves, coils or filters, or if you've had any surgeries. Depending on the type of metal in your body, you may still be able to have an MRI, but the technologists will need to make accommodations. Please let the technologist know if you are pregnant.

For safety reasons, the technologists will likely ask you to change into a gown.

If contrast is needed for your exam, the technologists will start an IV. Contrast helps enhance the visibility of certain body structures and tissues.

You'll lie on a table, and the technician will position you to get the best images possible. They may use a device called a coil to help keep you in place and may also place a pillow beneath your knees for added comfort. To help muffle the noise of the MRI machine, you’ll be given headphones or earplugs.

The technician will then move to an adjacent room. They can still hear you, and you can communicate with them if needed.

The exam table will slide into the opening of the MRI machine. For certain exams, the technician may ask you to inhale and hold your breath at specific points during the imaging process.

Depending on the size of the area being imaged and other factors, your MRI will likely take 30 minutes or longer.

Key Insights and Preparation for a Brain MRI

An MRI is the most sensitive imaging test of the brain available. It provides detailed images of your brain, the blood vessels connected to your brain, your skull and facial bones, your eyes and inner ears, and other structures and tissues inside your skull. If necessary, you may have both a brain and spine MRI performed on the same day. These exams are scanned sequentially, one after the other, rather than simultaneously.

Doctors often order an MRI of the brain to diagnose:

• Aneurysms (bulges) of blood vessels in the brain
• Brain injuries resulting from trauma
• Conditions of the inner ear and eye
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Spinal cord conditions
• Stroke
• Tumors

A brain MRI requires the same preparation as any other type of MRI – take your medications as usual, report any implants, or if you are pregnant, and leave jewelry at home.

Reasons for Undergoing an MRI

Doctors order MRIs to diagnose and monitor a large number of conditions, such as:

• Strokes, aneurysms, and other brain issues
• Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) problems, including structural problems, inflammation, or blockages
• Irregularities of the liver, kidneys, spleen, uterus, ovaries, pancreas, or prostate
• Bone infections, joint problems, tumors of bones and soft tissues, and issues with the rubbery discs between the bones of the spine
• Breast cancer

Diagnostic Benefits of MRI Scans

There are many types of imaging tests, but MRI provides many diagnostic benefits over the other tests. For example, an MRI can:

• Create images of any part of the body
• Take pictures in any direction
• Provide better images in soft tissue than a CT (computed tomography) test
• Show the difference between fat, water, muscle, and other soft tissue than CT

MRIs do not use ionizing radiation, so they are a safe alternative to X-rays or CT scans. These benefits can help doctors diagnose a wide variety of diseases and conditions.

Monitoring Ongoing Medical Conditions

MRIs can help your doctor monitor any ongoing medical conditions you may have, such as:

• Brain conditions
• Spinal conditions, including spinal cord injuries, disorders, compression, or inflammation
• Joint conditions, including arthritis, joint damage, tendon and ligament injuries
• Liver conditions, including cirrhosis
• Bowel conditions, including appendicitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis
• Blood vessel conditions
• 
  

Preventative Screenings and Early Detection

MRI can aid in the early detection of tumors or lesions before they cause symptoms and when most conditions are easiest to treat. This type of preventive screening and early detection can help save lives.



Preparations Before Your MRI Appointment

There are no special preparations for an MRI appointment. Eat and drink as normal, take your medications as usual, and wear comfortable clothing.

Dietary Restrictions

There are no dietary restrictions for an MRI test.

Medications and Supplements to Discuss with Your Doctor

MRI is safe with most medications and supplements. For maximum safety, though, tell your doctor about all medications and supplements you are taking.

Managing Anxiety and Claustrophobia Before Your Scan

You can talk to your doctor about prescribing a mild sedative that you can take before your scan. You can also practice relaxation and stress-relieving techniques, such as deep breathing. Wearing headphones and listening to music is helpful, as is visualizing a relaxing space.

Post-Scan Procedures and Receiving Your Results

The radiologists and technicians cannot give you the results of your test.

How to Receive Your MRI Results

To receive your MRI results, consult with the physician who ordered the test.

Understanding and Interpreting MRI Results

MRI results have many elements and may seem hard to understand at first glance. The report contains quite a bit of information, such as the type of exam, history/reason for the exam, and the technique used. The Findings section lists what the radiologist saw, and whether they think the tissue in the area is normal, abnormal, or potentially abnormal.

FAQs: Your MRI Preparation Questions Answered

Can I Take Medication Before an MRI?

Yes, take all medications as usual before your MRI. You will need to remove any medication or glucose monitoring patches before undergoing an MRI.

How Long Does an MRI Usually Take?

Depending on the area being scanned, an MRI can take 15 to 90 minutes.

Is an MRI Safe for People with Implants?

It is safe for most people with implants to have an MRI, as many modern implanted medical devices are not made from the ferromagnetic material that can interfere with the scan. Still, it is essential to let the radiology technicians know if you have any type of implant at all.

Can I Have an MRI If I Am Pregnant?

Yes, you can have an MRI while pregnant. Researchers agree that MRIs are safe for both mothers and their unborn babies. MRIs are one of the preferred types of imaging for pregnant patients.