Lumbar MRI: What the Findings Mean and How They Should Be Reported - J. Jarvik, MD, MPH

An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the body’s internal structures, especially soft tissues. The magnet aligns hydrogen atoms in the body, and a pulse of radio waves temporarily disrupts this alignment. As the atoms return to their original state, they emit signals that are detected and processed by a computer to form the images doctors use to examine patients. The first MRI machines were developed in the 1970s, build