UprightMRI or MRI under load (where pressure is put on your discs) and the MRI pictures are taken while you bend and stand, could show your REAL problem, a problem which may not be seen by traditional MRI as you lie on your back. The techology is here, and costs about the same (I've had both the traditional and upright MRI and paid about the same).

Please if you doctor keeps dismissing your back or neck problems have your physician write a prescription/order for an Upright MRI (An MRI taken under load - standing or sitting).

You're spine moves, you move, your discs move. A supine MRI simply can not show the movement of disc material. There is a company called Fonar which makes the MRI machines. There are (as of this writing) 32 machines installed in the USA. The first machine was installed at Rose Radiology in Florida. Dr. Rose (Radiologist) has the most experience with the new machines.

Unlike most MRI's this is an OPEN MRI so the scans are much easier to tolerated. The machine is not as loud either. It's a .6 Tesla but the scans look as good to me as the ones I had the 1.5T machines.

I just got my results back and they clearly show disc movement and impingment not seen on a regular Supine MRI (Where your back is at it's most rested state).

There are Machines in California, Texas, Florida, Arizone, Idaho, and Colorado so far and probably in New York or the Northeast.

The Machines have been out since 2001!!! Why so slow to be adopted? Why hasn't the medical profession jumped on this sooner?

I don't know, but I can tell you that if you have been diagnosed via MRI and the Doctor can not see the problem there is a very good posibility that it will show up once you are bending and actually putting a load on your spine.

Please take advantage of this technology (I do not work for the company nor do I own stock - YET).

This is a HUGE LEAP FORWARD for back and neck pain sufferers who have not been diagnosed to the actual cause.

The only caveat is you may be in too much pain to hold a position for the amount of time needed to scan. I simply could not hold my neck up in an extended pose as far as I would have liked for the length of time required to be scanned (And yes you are braced but it is still very difficult).

I've heard of these, but don't have any around me (I'm in Midwestern MN). I sure do wish someone around here would hurry up and get one of these machines! I do believe that they would show a much more accurate picture of what actually is going on in spine most of the time! I mean, how often do we have peircing, stabbing pains when we're laying flat on our BACKS??!! :rolleyes:

Anyone have a website/link with more info on these upright MRIs?

JD

search for fonar corporation - they can tell you all the centers that have the machines. in order to avoid problems with the moderaters and rules i can not post url's, rose radiology is online, and you can simply search for upright mri. you'll find them, aND THEY DO SHOW A MORE ACCURATE CLINICAL PICTURE FOR SPINAL PROBLEMS IN MT OPINION.

I was so glad to read your post, I have had a cervical fusion 7 years ago and I am having problems again. I had a traditional MRI which did not show much but I am having severe pain with pain running down my arm. I asked the Doctor to please have a standing MRI done and he told me there are not reliable and that they do not give anymore of a diagnosis. I think he doesn't know enough about them but he is the best spine guy in Chicago, if anyone has a great ortho or neuro in Chicago I would love to know. It makes sense to me that standing or sitting will show exactly how the spine
is, lying down puts the spine at ease and will not show what is really going on. Thank you for your post, I hope you find relief soon! Happy New Year!
Debbie

The "old" way is NOT the same. These machines came out in 2001 and are amazing. only 32 in the country right now. Most doctors do not even know the exist but they will. It does make a difference, discs behave differently under load. Fonar corp will be able to tell you one near you, rose radiology in Florida has good info online. worth the trip, worth the money.

I am scheduled for a new MRI next week. My NS set this up to try and find the cause of my pain. I am almost 3 months post op from a Laminectomy and microdissection on L4-L5 and L5-S1. I am right back to where I started pain wise. If nothing shows in this MRI, I have already talked to my PCP about using the up-right MRI. Luckily I live close enough to one in FL. If I get it done, I will post about the experience.
All the Best,
Tugs

Rose Radiology is in Florida, they purchased the first machine, and it's my understanding Dr. Rose is well versed in interpreting the scans.

My neurologist mentioned getting an upright MRI just last week. He said it may show bulging, leaking disks better than the one where you lay down. I live in Seattle area. I'm assuming there's one here if he wants to order it. They're so darn expensive and I just had an MRI done in Nov.

I've heard of these, but don't have any around me (I'm in Midwestern MN). I sure do wish someone around here would hurry up and get one of these machines! I do believe that they would show a much more accurate picture of what actually is going on in spine most of the time! I mean, how often do we have peircing, stabbing pains when we're laying flat on our BACKS??!! :rolleyes:

Anyone have a website/link with more info on these upright MRIs?

JD
I had one in St' Louis Park, MN. Excellent.

Any in Pennsylvania ? I have to do some research..

What a GREAT thread!!!! I have had 2 discetomy's on the same disc 6 weeks or so apart. L-4 L-5 2 years ago. I have improved but always had that pain in the <arse> the piriforms muscle, had injections and that didn't help. I was in bed and got up and wound up on the floor for a good 45 minutes my right leg and hip and buttock pain was so bad I had to drag myself to a door frame and pull myself up. When I am laying down I have little or now pain if flat on my back. If I turn on my side the pain starts but it's not too bad, As soon as I stand up the pain shoots into my back, hip,leg and ankle. I have experience with a herniated disc before and these are the exact same symptoms I had before the surgery 2 years ago. I had an mri done a week or so ago and I called my primary care doctor who read them to me and said I have a buldging disc at L-3 L-4 with no nerve compression. I also had a very hot spot like someone was holding a torch to my hip, it was burning. I am not sleeping well because I know I toss and turn at night. I am also afraid to lay down because I know once I get up that pain will come back and when it does I walk like I have had a stroke until the nerve settles down in about an hour or so but the pain is still there only not quite as bad. I have an appointment with the surgeon the 22nd of this month and will be sure to ask about this type of mri.

Thanks Folks,
Joe

It won't be too long when Physicians realize the benefits of this additional tool. 100 of the units have now been sold. It only makes sense.

Not to throw a damper on the topic, but when my husband did an upright MRI for back problems, he said it hurt like heck having to sit like that through the procedure. Even sitting, he still had to be positioned in a specific way.

I went to the second up right place in our area and my doc said the pictures, quality-wise, were some of the worst he'd ever seen. Plus when I did mine, the machine kept have "software" problems and they kept having to re-start the darn thing. It took me 3-1/2 hours to get my scan.

The upright was suggested for me because I'm claustrophobic and can hardly even look at a traditional MRI machine without hyperventilating. I'd done other "opens" before, but those all still involved laying on a table. I was, obviously, sitting for this one, but I was still strapped in at the head, waist, arms & feet.

I can certainly see where the upright would produce a more realistic picture for back pain patients Just keep in mind that the procedure itself is still not a picnic.

I'm still waiting for when they can just run a scanner over me, a la 'Star Trek'.

:)

Ember, I talk to my chiroprator about the upright MRI and they got the idea from the chiropractors <he said> because they do thier x-rays in the standing posistion. He also said that the quality of the MRI isn't that good <as you mensioned> and to give it 3 years of so to improve the quality of the mri.

Best of Luck

Joe