sit down MRI compared to laying down

brendaks1

Sit-down/stand up MRI's can sometimes pick up problems that regular (laying down) MRI's miss (especially disc problems in the spine).

They cost about twice the amount of a regular MRI, so some doctors/insurance companies are very hesitant to order them.

In my case, an upright MRI of me sitting picked up a disc problem that didn't show up on a laying down MRI. When we lay down and have our feet slightly elevated such as a pillow, this is the least amount of compression on our spines. However when we sit, there is something like 12 times the compressive force on our discs in our lumbar areas. My l4/L5 disc would bulge out and pinch nerve roots when I would sit but not when I would stand or lay down.

Do you have back pain that is more severe when you stand or sit vs. laying down? If so, an upright MRI might benefit you. Depending on the doctors you are working with, they may want to put you through regular MRI's and other less-costly tests before agreeing to an upright MRI. You may need to be persistent if you aren't getting answers.

trychocolate

So I don't know if this is true or not but I was asking about stand up and sit down MRI's because of the reasons mentioned in the last poster's comments. It is not an option here and I don't know if there are any in Canada anywhere.

Anyway, a dr. eventually told me one would have to sit or stand perfectly still (as you would in lay down), for very long periods of time, and because of this, is prone to not being as accurate. That finished it for me as I am way beyond sitting still and standing for more than minutes. So keep that in mind before you start an exhaustive search. Or, it may be that you can tolerate such a procedure quite well.

whattothink

A good MRI technician can work with someone who can't sit or lay still for long. The truth is that they can see if you moved and if they have time they should re-shoot it. The problem is that it is a numbers game and they want to do as many scans as possible so they often to do that. If you know you are going to have trouble holding still, tell the tech that you are in pain and they can break up the areas that they are scanning into shorter segments.

trychocolate

whattothink--thank you for this information; needed some input on the subject for future reference.

whattothink

trychocolate -- happy to help.

Also a note regarding the cost - in these bad economic times almost all medical offices are willing to work with you on the cost. Don't be afraid to ask. My husband needed an MRI (we didn't want to use his insurance) and we found a place that would do it for 325!!!

jdsun

I have had both laying down and sitting down MRI.

I have to say, I was in a LOT of pain during the sit down MRI. The tech told me I had to stay in the same exact position during all the scans (30 min) or they would have to start all over again. Like you, my pain is the worst when sitting straight up. It was the longest 30 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!

My sitting down scans showed nothing different than my laying down scans. I was told the sitting down films are not as clear as the laying down ones.

Overall, I am glad I had the sitting down scan done because now I know there isn't anything that the laying down scan missed. Fortunately, there are several upright MRI machines in my area.