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How Can You See Nerve Damage?
Nerve damage can cause a wide array of symptoms throughout thebody. It can cause bodily disfunctions, muscle weakness, numbness,dizziness, tingling, burning, and balance issues among otherthings. With over 100 different types of nerve damage, so manydifferent things can go wrong and symptoms you have may not be thesame as someone else.
One person may experience chronicmigraines while another experiences paralysis. It all dependswhich nerves are damaged and how severe it is. This means it’simportant that if you feel you may have nerve damage or have beeninjured in some way that could cause nerve damage to be checkedright away before it becomes worse as there is a chance for nervesto repair themselves.
Can you see nerve damage in an MRI/CBCT?
MRI, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, scans can show signs of nervedamage as it is sensitive to changes in bone structure andcartilage from injury, aging, or disease. MRI scans are accuratefor assessing soft tissue structures and use a magnetic field toacquire the image rather than using radiation.
CBCT, Cone Beam Computed Tomography, is also effective inshowing nerve damage due to its cutting-edge structural imagingthat makes a highly detailed and accurate 3D image of the patient’sspine. This allows the chiropractor to efficiently identify issueswith the upper cervical spine.
Can you see a pinched nerve on a CT/CBCTscan?
CT, Computed Tomography, scans use x-rays and a computer to makedetailed images of the spine and its nearby structures. Theseprovide good detail of the spine’s placement and how a misalignmentis applying pressure.
Because of the detail the cone beam computed tomography scangives, it can easily pick up details of a pinched nerve as well.Both are great ways of seeing if you have a pinched nerve, where,what it can be affecting, and how severe it is.
What causes pinched nerve in neck?
A pinched nerve is caused by a compression that is placed on thenerve. This happens when the nerve is compressed between tissuessuch as tendon, bone, or ligament. The inflammation that arisesfrom this pressure can cause pain and discomfort. Misalignments inthe upper cervical spine, neck area, will cause this pinched nervein the neck to happen. A misalignment may occur from any of thefollowing:
Aging - Structural and functional changesrelated to the natural aging process and shift the position of thespine.
Repetitive motion - It is importantto take breaks if you do a lot of repetitive motion during dailytasks or at work. Repetitive motion can cause vertebrae to slip outof their original position and pinch a nerve.
- Poor posture - Having poor posture canresult in pinched nerves. Staying hunched over will put additionalpressure on the neck and other areas of the spine.
- Sleeping in wrong position - Sleeping inthe wrong position can move the vertebrae out of alignment. It isimportant to not sleep in awkward positions that could causepressure on the neck area.
- Emotional stress - Emotional stress maycause blood pressure to rise and muscles to tense, which can causethe vertebrae to move from its position.
- Physical stress - This includes liftingheavy weights or overworking the body.
What should you not do before anMRI/CBCT?
Keep in mind that an MRI uses a magnetic field to processimaging. It is important to take off all jewelry as metal objectscan be pulled and injure you inside of the MRI machine. Otherthings that may contain metals that you should keep in mind if youare expecting to have an MRI scan are some cosmetics, nail polish,hair products, sunscreens, and antiperspirants. It would be a goodthing to let the professional who is taking the MRI scan know ifyou have any metal implants or tattoos in the area that will be inthe scanner as well.
For the CBCT scan, it is advised to not wear any earrings,facial piercings, necklaces, hair clips, glasses, or hearing aids.Before your CBCT scan, the professional will usually ask youquestions and tell you what you need to remove beforehand.
Can a cervical MRI/CBCT show MS?
MRI scans can reveal lesions, or telltale scars, on the brain orspinal cord and help in diagnosing multiple sclerosis. These scanshelp see the difference between old and newly formed lesions.However, MRI scans are not used alone to diagnose multiplesclerosis. Along with MRI scans, the medical professional mayconduct a neurological exam to assess of the nervous system isworking.
The neurological exam will test your cognitive abilities, motorfunction, balance, ability to feel temperature and sensations, andtest your reflexes. They may evaluate how your 12 cranial nerves ofyour brain are working as will. These 12 cranial nerves affect yourability to smell, chew, see, swallow, among other things.
A CBCT scan may show signs of multiple sclerosis, but just like MRI scans, onecannot diagnose if you have multiple sclerosis on a scan alone.Usually if there are signs of multiple sclerosis on a scan, anothertest is conducted or ordered for the patient before a diagnosis ismade.
Can you have MS and it not show up on anMRI/CBCT?
A very low percentage, about 5%, may have multiple sclerosiswithout brain lesions showing up on an MRI or CBCT scan. Although aprofessional can see signs of multiple sclerosis on a scan, it doesnot mean they can diagnose the patient based upon that one scan andusually another evaluation is needed.
If you believe you are having symptoms of multiple sclerosis orwould like to be checked by a professional, we can help. MRI andCBCT scans can help detect signs of multiple sclerosis thanks totheir detailed imaging and based upon your history and physicalexam we can help you find the treatment you need.
We would like to invite you to accept our invitation fora free 15 minute phone consultation to speak with one of ourupper cervical chiropractic doctors where you can ask anyquestions you may have and decide if an exam or care might beright for you.
If you are interested, you can call ouroffice at (843) 225-5855.
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