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If your osteopath needs the information an MRI would provide, they will refer you back to your GP for an MRI on the NHS or directly for private MRI
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) has been used since the the 1980s.
The MRI scan uses magnetic and radio waves, meaning that there is no exposure to x-radiation or any other damaging forms of radiation.
The patient lies inside a large, cylinder-shaped magnet. Radio waves 10,000 to 30,000 times stronger than the magnetic field of the earth are then sent through the body. This affects the body's atoms, forcing the nuclei into a different position. As they move back into place they send out radio waves of their own. The scanner picks up these signals and a computer turns them into a picture. These pictures are based on the location and strength of the incoming signals.
Using an MRI scanner, it is possible to make pictures of almost all the tissue in the body. The tissue that has the least hydrogen atoms (such as bones) turns out dark, while the tissue that has many hydrogen atoms (such as fatty tissue) looks much brighterAn MRI scan is also able to provide clear pictures of parts of the body that are surrounded by bone tissue, so the technique is useful when examining the brain and spinal cord.
Since you are exposed to a powerful magnetic field during the MRI scan, it is important not to wear jewellery or any other metal objects.
It is also important for the patient to inform medical staff if they use electrical appliances, such as a hearing aid or pacemaker, or have any metal in their body such as surgical clips, but orthopaedic metalware such as artificial hips or bone screws is not normally a problem.
There are no known dangers or side effects connected to an MRI scan. The test is not painful; you cannot feel it. Since radiation is not used, the procedure can be repeated without problems. There is a small theoretical risk to the foetus in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and therefore scans are not performed on pregnant women during this time.
Because patients have to lie inside a large cylinder while the scans are being made some people get claustrophobic during the test. Patients who are afraid this might happen should talk to the doctor beforehand, who may give them some medication to help them relax.
The machine also makes a banging noise while it is working, which might be unpleasant.
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