Your lumbar spine is the lower back region of your spinal column or backbone. It supports the weight of the body, surrounds and protects your spinal cord, and helps you make a wide range of body motions. Many conditions can affect this area of the spine, including lower back pain, arthritis, degenerative bone and disc disease, and stenosis. Lumbar spine issues can drastically affect your quality of life, making early and accurate diagnosis essential for effective treatment.
A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the lower back or the lumbar spine enables your physician to diagnose and evaluate the causes of back pain, as well as sciatica, weakness, or numbness in the legs.
What Is the Lumbar Lower Spine?
The lumbar spine is located at the lower back, just above the pelvis, and consists of five vertebrae. These vertebras are the largest in the spinal column, bear significant body weight, and absorb shock. The lumbar spine is sturdy and resilient and plays a significant role in movement and stability.
However, many problems can occur in your lumbar spine. Due to its high load-bearing function, it is also a common area for pain. Problems in this area can limit motion in your back or hips and cause pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in your back, hip, thigh, or leg.
What Is a Lumbar and Lower Spine MRI?
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safe, non-invasive procedure that uses a large magnet, radio signals, and a computer to create images of the lumbar spine. It provides detailed pictures of internal structures of the lumbar and lower spine and the spaces between the vertebrae that enable physicians to make an accurate diagnosis of most conditions affecting this region.
Compared to other diagnostic imaging tests, lower back MRI offers several advantages when it comes to evaluating symptoms in the lumbar spine. It manipulates the magnetic properties of water within normal living tissues and can reliably differentiate between fat, muscle, ligaments, discs, nerves, joints, bones, and other soft tissues with great clarity.
Why You Might Need a Lumbar and Lower Spine MRI?
Your physician may recommend a lumbar spine or lower back MRI to evaluate and detect problems affecting the lower back, including:
- Persistent or worsening back pain, especially if it does not improve with conservative treatment
- Numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain that radiates to the legs
- Serious injury to the lower back
- Back pain that is accompanied by fever and infection
- Degeneration of the spine
- Trauma, developmental issues, and underlying conditions such as bleeding or swelling
- Tumors, abnormalities, or inflammatory conditions in the bone or the surrounding tissues
- A herniated disc in the lower back
You may also need a lumbar and lower spine MRI for the following:
- Difficulty in passing and controlling urine or stools
- Difficulty in walking or balance issues
- Detecting cancer
An MRI not only helps to pinpoint the exact causes of back pain but also assists in planning physical therapy, medication, or in some cases, surgery. It may be requested to assess the spinal condition following surgery for recurrent or new symptoms.
How to Prepare for a Lumbar and Lower Spine MRI
No special preparation is needed for an MRI. However, you must remember and follow the instructions provided by your doctor.
- You can continue to eat, drink, and take your medications. However, for some scans, your doctor may ask you to refrain from eating or drinking for a few hours before the scan. Follow your doctor’s instructions for best results.
- Take off all your piercings and leave all your jewelry and valuables at home, as metallic objects will not be allowed into the scanning room.
- Avoid wearing perfume, body lotion, and makeup on the day of the scan, as they may contain metal, which can interfere with the image quality.
- Review your medical history with your doctor before scheduling an MRI. If you have any known allergies, mention them to your doctor. Some people experience allergic reactions to the contrast dye used for MRI. These reactions are usually mild and can be controlled with medication.
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney disease that requires dialysis or poor kidney function as there is a risk of a serious reaction to the dye.
- If you suffer from claustrophobia, tell your doctor, and they may be able to prescribe an anti-anxiety medication to help you feel sleepy and less anxious during the scan.
Before scheduling the test, inform your doctor if you have any electronic or metal devices in your body, such as:
- Brain aneurysm clips
- Certain types of artificial heart valves
- Heart defibrillator or pacemaker
- Inner ear (cochlear) implants
- Recently placed artificial joints or surgically implanted plates and screws
- Certain types of vascular stents
The strong magnetic fields used in MRI can potentially cause problems if you have implants containing metal, such as pacemakers. Your scan may be delayed or rescheduled, in case you fail to provide accurate information to your doctor regarding the device.
What Happens During a Lumbar and Lower Spine MRI?
- You will be asked to change into a loose gown for the test and remove everything else, including your watch, eyeglasses, hair pins, hearing aid, and any removable dental work.
- The MRI machine is large, tube-shaped, open on both ends. You will lie down on a motorized table that will slide into the scanner to provide a view of the body part being examined, in this case, your lower back.
- MRI machines can be noisy. They make loud thumping and whirring noises as the scanning takes place. You will be given earplugs to block this noise, or you can opt for headphones and listen to some music during this time.
- If your MRI is to be done with a contrast dye, the staff will start an IV line in your hand or arm to inject the contrast dye. You may feel some coolness or discomfort at the IV site, but it only lasts a few minutes. If you experience breathing difficulty, sweating, numbness, or heart palpitations, inform the technologist immediately.
- The technologist will be in another room where the scanner controls are located. However, they will be able to see you through a window. Speakers inside the scanner allow the technologist to speak and hear you during the exam. There is also a call button that you can press if you want to talk to the technologist or pause.
- The technologist will instruct you to stay very still during the test. This is because movements can affect the quality of scan and disrupt images.
- At some point during the scan, the technologist may ask you to hold your breath for a few seconds as they look at something.
- A lumbar spine MRI can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes or more, depending on what your radiologist is looking for and the number of images they need.
- Once the scan is over, the table will slide out of the scanner, and you can get off the table. If any IV line was started to give the dye, it will be removed.
The MRI is a simple, painless process, but lying down for some time might be uncomfortable, especially due to your back condition and pain or if you have been through an invasive surgery. Let your technologist know and they will ensure your comfort and complete the test as swiftly as they can.
After the MRI
- You can get up from the table and change into your clothes. It is better to move slowly when getting up to avoid any dizziness or lightheadedness from lying down for some time to prevent further back pain and complications.
- If you were given a sedative or anti-anxiety medication, you may need to rest until its effects have worn off. You should have a friend or family member drive you home.
- You may be observed for some time for any side effects or reactions if contrast dye was used for your scan. Inform the radiology staff if you experience itching, swelling, rash, or difficulty breathing.
- You can return home and continue your normal diet, medication, and routine activities unless your doctor advises differently. If your doctor has given you other instructions depending on your situation, follow them.
- Any redness, pain, or swelling at the IV site after you return home indicates an infection or other type of reaction. Contact your doctor or go to a hospital emergency.
Result and Interpretation
Once the scan is over and the images are acquired, a radiologist will review and interpret them to create a formal report. This report will be sent to your referring physician, who will discuss the test results with you. You can also access the report online or have the images copied on a CD ROM for your record.
Depending on the results, your doctor may schedule a follow-up appointment to recommend more tests or plan the next step in your care if they have a confirmed diagnosis.
Lumbar Spine MRI Near Me: Detect And Diagnose A Variety Of Conditions Affecting The Lower Spine
If you’re experiencing ongoing or severe lower back pain that isn’t improving with basic treatments, consider visiting an outpatient imaging facility providing detailed images of the spine, soft tissues, and nerves, which can help diagnose conditions like herniated discs, spinal stenosis, or nerve compression. These precise images enable accurate evaluations and effective treatment planning tailored to your needs.
How to Find an Imaging Facility Offering a Lumbar Spine MRI in Your Area
If you’re seeking a lumbar spine MRI nearby, here are a few tips:
- Reach out to friends and family for recommendations.
- Search online for “lumbar spine mri near me,” “lower spine mri near me,” or “mri for lower back near me.”
- Read reviews of local imaging facilities online and schedule consultations to get to know more about them.
At Manhattan MRI, accredited by the ACR, we deliver top-tier imaging services that precisely reveal the extent of any injury or condition, all while prioritizing patient safety. By leveraging advanced MRI techniques like DWI and fMRI, we can assess organ function and detect even the smallest abnormalities. Our team of experienced radiologists, using high-field strength MRI machines, provides detailed images of the vertebrae, spinal cord, and surrounding tissues.
This allows us to identify degenerative diseases, tumors, infections, or injuries affecting the spine, guiding doctors in determining the most suitable treatment, whether it be surgical or non-surgical. We offer a comprehensive range of imaging services, including MRI with and without contrast, all within a relaxing environment. For those who are claustrophobic, we have open MRI machines to ensure comfort during the procedure.
Risks of a Lumbar and Lower Spine MRI
- There are no risks to an MRI procedure when guidelines are properly followed. However, there may risks depending on your specific medical condition and injury. An MRI is considered a safe alternative to X-rays and CT scans as it does not use ionizing radiation, and no side effects from the radio waves and magnets have been reported.
- In rare cases, some people experience an allergic reaction to the contrast dye used for scanning. Itching, hives, and nausea are common symptoms, but they can be controlled with medication.
There is a risk of excessive sedation if you took any anti-anxiety medication for the test. You will be monitored until you are back to normal before you can go home. You will need someone to drive you home afterward. - While the magnetic field is not harmful to you, it may cause the medical or electronic devices to malformation or damage them. You must inform your doctor if you have any implants made of, or containing metal inside your body.
An MRI is the most effective diagnostic tool to detect problems in the lower back resulting from lower spine back injury or some underlying condition. Understanding the procedure and what it involves can make it less intimidating for you and helps to achieve clear, detailed images for timely diagnosis and effective treatment.
Have you been suffering from lower back pain for a while, and your doctor has ordered a lumbar spine MRI? If yes, call Manhattan MRI today and schedule a scan to determine the exact cause of your back pain. Our team of specialists focuses on your imaging needs and offers the best scanning services that prioritize your health to assist you on your path to a pain-free life.
