Open Upright MRIs Provide Better Images of Positional Injuries You might consider a stand-up MRI or open upright MRI. If you suffer from pain, stiffness, or back pain, you may not be able to lie flat on your back for a full, traditional scan. Open Upright Stand-Up MRIs Are More Accessible to Those With Limited Mobility This technology can help fulfill your imaging needs if you cannot lie flat. Open Upright MRIs (Stand-Up MRIs)Īnother type of open MRI machine is a stand-up MRI, also called an “open upright MRI”, scans your body while in a fully upright, standing, tilted (lying down with the head elevated), or other position. Open MRIs are ideal for use on children and some adults with developmental disabilities and may decrease the need for sedation in these patient groups. The same is true for adults with special needs. If a radiologist decides it is safe, a parent or caregiver may stay in the room to support the child during the scan. Traditional MRIs performed on young children often require sedation. Open MRIs Reduce the Need for Sedation in Children and Adults With Special Needsĭiagnostic imaging in pediatrics is valuable but is not without its challenges. This is great news if you have sensitive hearing or if loud noises trigger anxiety or migraine headaches. Some newer models of open MRIs have decreased the noise levels to less than 25 decibels for an average MRI scan. Since they don’t have an enclosed tunnel or walls, open MRIs are quieter. The noise levels you experience compare to being at a rock concert with volumes as high as 110 decibels.Įarplugs offer protection and are safe to use for an MRI scan, but they may interfere with necessary communication between you and your radiology technologist. You may experience the sounds as loud, low-frequency sounds similar to the beating of a metal drum. Because they are inside a metal compartment, the vibrations resonate as sound waves. Traditional MRIs consist of metal coils that vibrate when they receive pulses of electricity. Recommended reading – Facing Your Fears: A Guide to Coping with MRI Claustrophobia 3. However, an open MRI may be a better option. If you are prone to anxiety, a traditional MRI might require sedation or anti-anxiety medication. Because you can look into the room around you and feel the air circulating, being in an open MRI doesn’t trigger panic the way conventional MRI scanners do. An open MRI can help relieve feelings of claustrophobia, thanks to the imaging machine’s open “airy” design. Since traditional MRIs require you to be in a tunnel with a small opening for much of the test, it may trigger this anxiety. Open MRI May Prevent Claustrophobia and the Need for SedationĬlaustrophobia is an anxiety disorder in which you may experience an irrational fear of being enclosed. Because the open MRI is open on at least two sides at all times, it is more accommodating of different body types. Open MRI Accommodates Most Body TypesĬonsidering traditional MRIs have a “bore” or opening of only 23.6 inches, this might be concerning for someone with a larger build. ![]() Here are a few situations when you might consider an open-MRI or a stand-up MRI: 1. For patients who cannot tolerate or fit into a traditional MRI, an open MRI is an option. The main advantage of an open MRI is increased care access. Not only is the configuration open on at least two sides at all times - there is room between your body and the magnet above you as well. In some open MRI scanners, the bed is on a flat platform with one part of the magnet above and the other part of the magnet below. Open MRI Benefitsĭepending on the vendor, an open MRI scanner may be open on 2-3 sides. Fortunately, there are other options available, including the open MRI, and the stand-up MRI. ![]() Plus, if you’re living with pain, you may not be able to lie flat. And if you’re even slightly larger than average, you may worry about the dimensions of the machine’s cylinder and whether you will fit. Yet for many claustrophobic patients, the thought of having an MRI brings feelings of dread. MRI scans may help spot abnormalities that might indicate injuries, cancer, and aneurysms. It’s also useful in assessing the blood flow to your organs. It provides better quality images of your body’s soft tissues such as organs, blood vessels, fat tissue, muscle, lymph vessels and fibrous tissues like tendons and ligaments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has no harmful radiation and is therefore safer than other forms of imaging such as X-rays and CT scans. A traditional MRI or 3T MRI may produce higher quality images.Open MRIs are a viable option for patients unable to have a traditional MRI.Open MRIs can provide greater patient comfort.
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