Your Guide to Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Using radiofrequency waves and a strong magnetic field, MRI is a noninvasive approach that produces clear images of your internal organs such as the lungs, kidney, and spleen.

MRI technology has proven valuable when diagnosing a variety of conditions, including cancer, heart and vascular disease, stroke, and joint and musculoskeletal disorders. Sports injuries can also be diagnosed, especially those occurring in the knee, shoulder, hip, elbow, and wrist.

Excellent Spine Care

Another area in which MRI excels is in obtaining images of the spine. MRI is an excellent way to determine the cause of back pain because of its ability to view the anatomy of vertebrae that make up the spine.

Common reasons for spinal MRIs include:

  • bulging or herniated disks (a frequent cause of lower back pain)
  • pinched or inflamed nerves
  • planning of spinal surgeries and tracking progress following the procedure

Each picture captured through MRI can be developed into a three-dimensional image and examined by a medical professional. The ability to create such a detailed image enhances the accuracy of a diagnosis in many cases. "Cape Cod Healthcare is proud to offer such excellence in diagnostic imaging," says Paul Dimond, MD, board- certified orthopedic surgeon on staff at Falmouth Hospital and rehabilitation medical director at the JML Care Center. "When treatment is required, it's reassuring for patients to know they can obtain specialty services without traveling to Boston." For more information on MRI capabilities at Cape Cod Healthcare, call (877) MRI-0070 (877-674-0070.)

A Wealth of Benefits

Benefits of MRI include:

  • images of the soft-tissue structures such as the heart and lungs can be clearer and more detailed than with other imaging devices
  • enhanced ability for early diagnosis and evaluation of tumors
  • enables medical professionals to detect abnormalities that may be obscured by a bone