What does a sacral mri show?
Welcome, dear reader! Today we’re going to delve into the wonderful world of sacral MRIs. Bet you never thought your day would come to this! Fear not, though – I’ll guide you through it all with humor and easy-to-understand explanations.
Introduction
First things first: what exactly is a sacral MRI? Well, my good friend Google tells me that it’s an imaging test that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the lower spine area known as the sacrum. Sounds groovy, right? But what do these images actually show? Let’s find out!
The Nitty Gritty Details
Alrighty then. Prepare yourselves for some fancy terminology because things are about to get technical up in here.
The Sacrum
As mentioned before, the sacrum is found at the base of our spines – kind of like a firm foundation made up of five fused vertebrae (bet you didn’t know that!). It connects our spine to our pelvis (our hips) and helps us stand upright like civilized human beings (most days).
The Neuroforamina
Now here comes another weird word: neuroforamina. These are really just little openings on either side of each vertebrae that allow nerves from our spinal cord to branch off into other parts of our body. If anything starts squeezing or pinching these openings- often due to problems with discs- people suffer through with pain.
### Bulge/Herniation/Protrusion
A bulging disc isn’t quite bad as it sounds because most individuals won’t have any issues caused by mild case scenarios . OK sounds great ,but don’t be fooled by Mr.nice-guy-disc until they shift their gear up in herniation / protrusion mode where nerve roots get trapped squeezing down those aforementioned opennings between vertebrae causing pain.
What the Heck does the MRI Show?
Ok! Hypothetically speaking, let’s assume you have been ordered for an MRI scan over some issue with your lower back or pelvic region. After going through this kind of testing here is what it can reveal:
Soft Tissue Information
Our soft tissues includes muscles and ligaments-which hold our bones together in place without letting them shake by all means; plus nerves . Sacrum MRI scans will show any strain on these structures so if a nerve is being compressed the test picks up easily.
Spine Alignment Status
Your vertebral column takes ten thousand steps once standing straight releasing tension from each millimeter inching to stabilize as aligned muscular straps help support. A misalignment between movement could be problematic but fortunately with examination using sacral MRIs that covering soft tissue we can make sure everything is in position .
### Degenerative Disc Syndrome
There are times when overuse leads degeneration (wear/tear), resulting in disc swelling or bulging out which inhibit proper functioning rest wise , restricting movements & creating discomfort during normal day-to-day activities .. Sacral MRIs give more elaborate insight into structural changes around those reduced spaces next to nerves where a new way of figuring how distorted these discs really are available.
### Uncovering Herniated Discs
In cases involving herniation , parts of intervertebral disk(s) usually shift sticking their neck out towards spinal cord triggering relevant symptoms. Symptoms that indicate further scrutiny may include tedious while sitting \& moving especially bending forwards highly uncomfortable compression seemd near mid-lower back regions etc.Striking gold now with modern imaging helping unveil extent/threat involved sagittally /axial planes respectively discerned checking size/location+compression injury presence leading us onto treatment/diagnoses at recovery speed even considering follow-up treatments depending on severity!
### Deriving Pelvic Anatomy Disturbances
Sacral MRI scans can also determine whether pelvic or sacrum bones are, in some way , causing issues such as pain during normal activities over time due to bulges, fractures or misalignments.
## Conclusion
There you have it- a quick introduction to what exactly sacral MRIs reveal. Hopefully now the process seems less scary and intimidating (hopefully?). So if your doctor ever recommends one of these tests for you, remember that they’re just trying to get a better look at how everything’s working down there – nothing too invasive!