In-House Imaging
The combination of X-ray imaging and proper clinical evaluation is crucial for making an accurate diagnosis of injuries. Dr. Serge PierreCharles — a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist & Pain and Sports Medicine Doctor located in Minneapolis, MN — offers state-of-the-art, in-house X-ray imaging facilities to precisely and quickly diagnose various injuries.
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Frequently asked questions.
Imaging is an essential tool in sports medicine. It allows your Superior Performance provider to make an accurate diagnosis and avoids the potential for an X-ray to be misplaced when it’s sent to an outside facility. Patients and athletes undergo imaging to:
- Make an accurate diagnosis
- Decide a time of return to play after an injury
- To undergo cardiac screening for sports physicals
Some of the other types of in-house imaging at the Superior Performance Center are:
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive imaging test for injuries involving joints or soft tissues. It’s especially useful in diagnosing injuries of bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves.
An MRI is also an essential diagnostic tool for knowing the extent of injury in concussions and spinal cord injuries. MRIs eliminate radiation exposure, produce 3D images of the organs, and provide more soft tissue details as compared to X-rays.
Ultrasound
Ultrasounds have gained such popularity in the treatment of sports injuries that it is often called the “stethoscope of a sports physician.” It’s a cheaper alternative to MRIs for getting a closer look at soft tissue, tendon, and muscle injuries. It’s especially useful for diagnosing lumps, hematomas, or bursas.
Bone scan
Bone scans are often used in sports medicine to confirm and localize bone or joint abnormalities in patients with chronic bone pain. It’s especially useful in diagnosing stress fractures of long bones in marathon runners or other high-performance athletes.
CT Scan
A computerized Axial Scan (CT scan) is similar to an MRI: It’s used for viewing and diagnosing soft tissues, bones, and muscle injuries. However, it exposes patients to a higher dose of radiation. Because of this, the Superior Performance team uses it as a last resort.
Call Superior Performance Center or make an appointment online for an accurate diagnosis of your condition.
An X-ray is usually the first imaging technique performed when a bone or soft tissue injury is suspected. Combined with clinical examination, it can provide a reasonable diagnosis so your Superior Performance provider can form a treatment plan.
Getting an X-ray for soft tissue injuries is essential because it provides information about whether there is additional damage elsewhere.
The Superior Performance Center is fully equipped to perform all digital X-rays.
In-House Imaging
MRI is short for magnetic resonance imaging. MRI uses a strong magnetic field, radio waves, and a computer to create images of the organs and tissues within the body. MRI is a painless and noninvasive scanning procedure. MRI does not use the damaging ionizing radiation of X-rays and CT scans.
Why would I get an MRI?
MRI helps diagnose disease or injury and can also monitor how well the body responds to a specific treatment.
MRI of the bones and joints looks for: bone infections, cancer, damage to joints, and disc problems in the spine.
MRI of the brain and spinal cord looks for: blood vessel damage, brain injury, cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, and stroke.
MRI of the heart and blood vessels looks for: blocked blood vessels, damage caused by a heart attack, heart disease, and problems with the heart’s structure.
MRI can also be done to check the health of these organs: breasts (women), live, kidneys, ovaries (women), pancreas, prostate (men)
Who cannot get an MRI?
People with the following implants cannot be scanned and should not enter the MRI scanning area:
- Cochlear (ear) implant
- Some types of clips used for brain aneurysms
- Some types of metal coils placed within blood vessels
- Nearly all cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers
How to prepare for an MRI?
The magnetic field is not harmful but may cause some medical devices to malfunction. Tell your doctor about any health problems, recent surgeries, or allergies and whether there’s a possibility you’re pregnant. There have been no reports of ill effects on pregnant women. However, it is usually not recommended during the first 3-4 months. Most metal implants are not a problem, but technologists should always be aware of any devices or metal in your body. Unless otherwise instructed, take medications as usual, and continue eating and drinking balanced meals daily. Remove all jewelry, watches, body piercings, hearing aids, hairpins, zippers, dental work, eyeglasses, and empty all pockets. Wear comfortable clothing with no metal fasteners; you may be asked to wear a gown. You may ask the doctor for a mild sedative before the MRI if you have claustrophobia or anxiety.
What is an X-ray?
Medical X-rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation used to generate images of tissue and structures inside the body. Medical X-rays use ionizing radiation which is a form of radiation that has enough energy to cause DNA damage potentially. This means there is a minimal risk of developing cancer later in life. However, that depends on the radiation dose, age, sex, and body region. The FDA believes that a clinically appropriate X-ray imaging exam’s benefits far outweigh the risks. Still, efforts should always be made to minimize unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation.
Why would I get an X-ray?
X-rays examine an area of the body experiencing pain or discomfort, and the doctor must determine the appropriate diagnosis. X-ray is also used to monitor the progression of a disease or check how well a treatment works. Conditions that may call for an x-ray include bone cancer, breast tumors, enlarged heart, blocked blood vessels, conditions affecting your lungs, digestive problems, fractures, infections, osteoporosis, and arthritis.
Who cannot get an X-ray?
The level of radiation exposure is safe for most adults but not for developing babies. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or believe you could be pregnant. They may suggest a different imaging method, such as MRI.
How to prepare for an X-ray?
X-rays are standard procedure, and in most cases, it will not be necessary to do anything to prepare. It is best to wear loose, comfortable clothing that is easy to move around, and you might be asked to wear a gown. During the exam, the radiologist will tell you how to position your body—lie, sit, or stand—in several positions. It is crucial to remain still while the images are taken. You may also be asked to remove any jewelry or other metallic items from your body. Always tell doctors about metal implants, as these can block the X-rays from passing through your body. Some X-rays require a “contrast dye” that will help improve the image quality. The dye can be ingested or injected. If you receive an x-ray of the gastrointestinal system, you may be asked to fast before the exam.
What is Ultrasound?
Ultrasound, or Sonography, uses the ultrasound probe (transducer) and ultrasound gel to transmit high-frequency sound waves through human tissue. Some sound waves bounce back to the transducer, and a computer uses the reflected sounds to form the ultrasound image. There is no radiation dose associated with the ultrasound scan. Ultrasound is safe, noninvasive, and does not use ionizing radiation. Ultrasound images are also captured in real-time. They can show structures and movements of the body’s internal organs, including blood flowing through blood vessels. Ultrasound is easy-to-use and less expensive than other imaging methods.
Why would I get an Ultrasound?
Ultrasound is used to help diagnose the causes of pain, swelling, and infection in the body’s internal organs. Ultrasound helps assess heart and blood vessels, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, uterus, ovaries, pregnancy, eyes, thyroid, and scrotum. It’s also used to help guide biopsies, diagnose heart conditions, and assess damage after a heart attack. In addition, ultrasound scanning gives a clear picture of soft tissues that do not appear well on x-ray images.
Why would I get a Fluoroscopy?
Fluoroscopy is used in a wide variety of examinations and procedures to diagnose or treat patients. Some examples are:
- Locating foreign bodies
- Image-guided injections into joints or the spine
- Myelogram
Who cannot get a Fluoroscopy?
Women who are pregnant or think they might be pregnant should check with their doctor before scheduling the exam. Ultrasound can be utilized instead of fluoroscopy for a live imagining technique.
How do I prepare for a Fluoroscopy?
Superior Performance Center will only perform fluoroscopy procedures that are same-day outpatient procedures. You may be asked to change into a gown, remove all piercings, and leave all jewelry and valuables at home.
