Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI can be ordered with or without contrast.

It’s particularly useful for brain and spinal cord conditions.

You may spend a few minutes filling out forms before your MRI scan.

What to expect during an MRI

Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell

For specifics, ask the MRI technologist how long your scan is expected to take.

The test is performed in one room while the MRI technologist is in another room with the computer equipment.

You will be able to communicate with each other while in separate rooms.

Be sure to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions exactly or the MRI will have to be rescheduled.

Cost and Health Insurance

MRIs are known to be on the expensive side.

If you have health insurance, your MRI will likely be covered as any diagnostic test would be.

You may have to pay a co-pay and/or coinsurance, depending on your plan.

Contact your insurance agent or the number on your insurance card to be on the safe side.

This can help the technologist in assessing the safety of the procedure.

You will then lie down on a table that slides in and out of the MRI scanner.

The technologist may use straps to help hold you in the right position and keep you still.

The sedative or anesthesia, if ordered, will be administered.

You may have the contrast now or later, after you’ve had some scans without it.

Some people also get a metallic taste in their mouths for a while.

Throughout the Test

The actual MRI scan can take anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour.

It’s usually completed in 30 to 50 minutes.

The scanner is well-lit and air-conditioned.

Let the technologist know if you’re experiencing claustrophobia, anxiety, discomfort, or pain from lying still.

Scans may be taken as this is happening or afterward.

Let the technologist know if you experience any of these symptoms after the contrast is administered.

Allergic reactions usually occur within a few minutes after the contrast injection and are easily controlled with medication.

If you took a sedative, remember that you’ll need someone else to drive you.

A radiologist will look at and interpret your MRI scans.

If you do, if may be difficult to make sense of it without some advanced medical knowledge.

Your healthcare provider or radiologist can answer any questions you have.

A typical radiology report includes a number of sections (exam punch in, clinical history, etc.

Each area is classified as normal, abnormal, or potentially abnormal.

You may need to follow-up with your healthcare provider if your MRI results weren’t normal.

You may also have one of the imaging tests mentioned above instead of or in addition to MRI.

In either of these situations, your healthcare provider may schedule these as soon as possible.

This may be scheduled for a later time.

A Word From Verywell

Waiting for test results can be nerve-wracking.

Go out with a friend, participate in activities you love.

CT and MRI scans are both diagnostic tests that produce images of the inside of the body.

MRIs provide a more detailed picture of internal structures but are also more expensive than CT scans.

In theory, an MRI can be read instantly.

But in practice, it can take one or two weeks to get results.

MRI results are typically interpreted by a radiologist.

This report will be sent to the health care provider who ordered the MRI.

If you are concerned about being unable to lie still, talk to your health care provider.

They can prescribe medication to ease anxiety or pain.