The test most often lasts 30 to 60 minutes, but it may take longer.
A technician will help you lie on a table, which slides into the tube opening. A technician operates the machine and watches the images from another room. The MRI is painless, but some people feel nervous because it's a small space. If you think you might have problems, talk to your doctor.
[Dr. Lewis] While both MRI and ultrasound can reliably diagnose rotator cuff tears, no test is perfect, so there are some cases of "false negatives" (reported normal when actually there is a missed tear), and even "false positives" (called a tear when the tendon is in fact not torn).
A shoulder MRI can be completed in as little as 15 minutes, though it can take up to 45 minutes for more comprehensive scans.
The Radiologist will send a report to the doctor who arranged the scan. They'll discuss the results with you. It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for the results of an MRI scan to come through, unless they're needed urgently.
“Your test needs to be read by a diagnostic radiologist, and the results go back to your physician. Your physician reads the report and then discusses it with you,” Edwards said. The biggest reason for that policy is that only a medical doctor has the training and experience to make a diagnosis.
You may be asked to wear a hospital gown or clothing without metal snaps or zippers (such as sweatpants and a t-shirt). Make sure you take off your watch, jewelry, and wallet. Some types of metal can cause blurry images. You will lie on a narrow table, which slides into a large tunnel-like tube.
Rotator cuff tendon tears often cause pain at night. The pain may even wake you. During the day, the pain is more tolerable, and usually only hurts with certain movements, such as overhead or reaching toward the back. Over time, the symptoms become much worse and are not relieved by medicines, rest, or exercise.
In general, there's nothing you have to do before this test, unless your doctor tells you to. Tell your doctor if you get nervous in tight spaces. You may get a medicine to help you relax.
Patients still have the ability to raise their arm, and they can still do day-to-day things, but they tend to have some pain. So, being able to use the arm and move it and raise it above your head does not necessarily mean that the rotator cuff is intact.
The symptoms are usually aggravated by raising the arms overhead or in activities that require reaching behind the body, such as retrieving an object from the back seat of a car. Furthermore, reaching behind the back to fasten underclothing or to pass a belt may aggravate the arm and shoulder pain.
The bottom line is that not all pain is able to be detected on an x-ray or MRI. That does not mean that there is nothing there that needs to be treated or diagnosed. In fact, it means that it is possibly a precursor to something going really wrong and then eventually needing surgery because it eventually winds up torn.
X-rays. Although a rotator cuff tear won't show up on an X-ray, this test can visualize bone spurs or other potential causes for your pain — such as arthritis. Ultrasound. This type of test uses sound waves to produce images of structures within your body, particularly soft tissues such as muscles and tendons.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING MY EXAM? The MRI of the shoulder requires you to lie down on the scanning table, head first.
We ask patients to remove: All outer clothing, including shoes. Bras or any undergarment that could have metal in it.
Depending on which part of your body is being scanned, you may need to wear a hospital gown during the procedure. If you don't need to wear a gown, you should wear clothes without metal zips, fasteners, buttons, underwire (bras), belts or buckles.
Providence radiology experts recommend cotton clothing or hospital gowns to keep patients safe and comfortable during their procedure.
Without any treatment—either rest and rehabilitation or surgery—rotator cuff disorders may get worse. Over time, you may have more pain. You may lose range of motion and strength in your shoulder, making it harder to do your daily activities.
If you have a desk job, you may be able to go back to work or your normal routine in 1 to 2 weeks. If you have a more active job, you may be away from work for a few months.
Patients with “well-balanced” massive rotator cuff tears may still have good active motion and be able to perform their activities of daily living. This is usually achieved through balanced force coupling across the glenohumeral joint (intact subscapularis and teres minor) and recruitment of the deltoid muscle.
An “age of injury” analysis allows the radiologist to examine an MRI report alongside the corresponding images to determine the time frame in which the injury occurred.
You will be in constant communication with the MRI technicians and you can stop the scan at any time. We have a fan in case you get warm, blankets in case you are cool and bolstering pillows to help you stay comfortable during a long scan.
You should also prepare to come with a list of your current medications so your doctors make the best decision for you. Unless otherwise instructed, you can eat, drink, or even take your medications as normal before your MRI scan.