As a chiropractor, I encounter patients every week with new and old spinal injuries. Some of these injuries are significant and require proper imaging to fully understand the nature of the injury. One issue with sending these patients for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is that all of the imaging facilities in Redding, CA have recumbent MRI machines. That means the patient is lying down while getting their MRI. Well, if you have a spinal injury, wouldn’t it be a better idea to look at the spine while the patient is standing up? The spine is a weight bearing structure. It makes no sense to look at this weight bearing structure lying down. Thankfully, Stand Up, aka Weight Bearing, MRI was invented more than 10 years ago. This technology shows injuries that traditional, recumbent MRI doesn’t. If you have a spinal injury, it is important to properly document the injury. This is why I recommend Stand Up MRI to any patients that want to best understand the nature of their spinal injury. Any joint that is weight bearing and requires an MRI should be imaged using a Stand Up MRI. That way the joint is being looked at in its natural state. I usually refer my patients to East Bay Upright MRI in Hayward, CA. Hopefully Advanced Imaging or MD Imaging will acquire this technology in the future. If you have any questions regarding an MRI or a spinal injury, feel free to contact us at The Chiropractic Place, 530-221-8443