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8 Problems That an MRI Can Detect

You want answers for your unexplained symptoms. Perhaps it’s undiagnosed pain. Maybe it’s dizziness or weakness in your arms or legs. 

MRIs are incredibly useful tests that can reveal a wide variety of health conditions. Your health care provider may request an MRI to gain more information than has been revealed on an X-ray or other tests in order to make a proper diagnosis. 

Once your doctor has the information from an MRI, your health care team can spring into action and develop a treatment plan. Our board-certified radiologists with REDI Diagnostics Corp in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, have many years of experience in administering MRIs, or magnetic resonance imaging tests.

After we read and interpret your results and send them to your physician, you’ll likely have new answers to questions about your health. Following are eight problem areas where an MRI can detect abnormalities. 

Brain and spinal cord conditions 

If you’ve had chest pain or weakness, numbness in your arm, difficulty with your speech, or sudden confusion, an MRI can provide evidence of whether you’ve had a stroke. On the other hand, perhaps you’ve had muscle spasms, stiffness, weakness, vision problems, or numbness or tingling in your extremities. An MRI might indicate multiple sclerosis. 

If you’ve had severe headaches that can’t be explained, an MRI could find tumors or cysts that need treatment. Those are just some of the conditions that an MRI can reveal involving your brain and spinal cord.

Injuries to joints

MRIs are incredibly helpful in diagnosing joint injuries. Perhaps you’ve had a fall and injured your knee, hip, or elbow. Maybe your injury was caused when you twisted your leg on the tennis court. 

An MRI can show an injury to the soft tissue surrounding your joints, including your muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage. You could have a tear in your cartilage or a ligament. MRIs can show whether your pain comes from a herniated disc, spinal compression, spinal stenosis, or other similar conditions. The test can also reveal if arthritis and other degenerative diseases are progressing. 

Certain heart problems

An MRI can detect a variety of heart conditions, from heart failure to heart inflammation or infection. It also shows problems with heart valves. 

In addition, if your doctor suspects atrial fibrillation (Afib), an MRI can detect the area where your irregular heartbeat begins. It also shows whether your heart is enlarged, your arteries are blocked, or you’ve developed scar tissue. 

Diseases of the liver and abdominal organs

Perhaps you’ve had digestive difficulties. An abdominal and pelvic MRI can detect tumors, cirrhosis of the liver, inflammatory bowel conditions such as Cron’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or diverticulitis. It also detects abnormalities in your kidneys, spleen, pancreas, and adrenal glands. In a man, a pelvic MRI can show prostate or testicular cancer. 

Pelvic pain or abnormal vaginal bleeding in women

If you’re a woman with unexplained pelvic pain, your doctor may order an MRI. The MRI can reveal the root of your problem, whether it’s pain or abnormal bleeding. 

MRIs can reveal endometriosis as well as fibroids. Some fibroids can grow as large as a grapefruit. It can also reveal reproductive cancers such as endometrial, ovarian, or cervical cancer in addition to bladder cancer. 

Neurological abnormalities

An MRI can detect vascular problems that could lead to a stroke. It can also show brain injury as a result of a traumatic incident. 

Problems with spinal discs 

Perhaps you’re having severe back pain or a sharp pain radiating down your leg. An MRI can reveal a herniated disc, a bulging disc, disc compression, facet joint disease, arthritis, or slipped vertebrae which squeeze your discs. 

Our team can take care of your MRI needs. Call REDI Diagnostics Corp or book an appointment online today so you can move forward and start healing.

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