MRI Whole Spine
A focused scan for Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar and more.
Overview
Examines Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, Discs and more. Performed at an NABL-accredited Meridian Health centre with a same-day report and a free doctor review.
The full panel
5 areas across 1 groupEvery parameter, grouped by body system — no clicking to expand.
What this scan measures
The entire spinal column in one sitting — cervical, thoracic and lumbar — showing the vertebral bodies and their marrow, the intervertebral discs, the spinal cord and the nerve roots leaving it, the spinal canal and the exit foramina, and the surrounding ligaments and muscles.
It is ordered when symptoms cannot be localised to one region, when there are signs pointing to the cord rather than a single nerve root, or when a condition affecting the whole spine — demyelination, infection, metastatic disease, inflammatory arthritis — is being looked for. Where the problem is clearly one level, a regional MRI is usually more appropriate.
Symptoms that lead to this scan
- Back or neck pain radiating into an arm or leg
- Weakness, numbness or pins and needles in the limbs
- Unsteady walking, or clumsiness of the hands
- Loss of bladder or bowel control, which requires urgent assessment
- Back pain with fever, weight loss or a history of cancer
Understanding your results
Disc bulges, degenerative change and mild canal narrowing are found in a large proportion of adults who have no symptoms at all — an MRI finding only becomes meaningful when it matches the pattern of your symptoms and examination. That is why surgery is decided on the correlation between the scan and the clinical picture, and why conservative treatment is tried first in most cases. Compression of the cord, cauda equina involvement, infection or a marrow-replacing lesion are the findings that change urgency, and they are the reason a whole-spine study is sometimes preferred over a single region.
Why the preparation matters
No fasting. The scan takes about 45 minutes because three regions are covered, and every image is degraded by movement — so empty your bladder beforehand and settle into a position you can genuinely hold. Complete the metal safety questionnaire honestly, including any spinal implant, rod, cage or stimulator; most orthopaedic implants are MRI-safe but they must be identified in advance, and they cause local artefact the radiologist needs to know about.
MRI — safety and who should not be scanned
Full MRI guideNo ionising radiation is involved — an MRI adds nothing to your lifetime radiation exposure, which is a real advantage in young patients and in repeated follow-up. The risks are entirely different in kind: the magnet is ALWAYS on, even when no one is being scanned, and it exerts strong force on ferromagnetic objects. That is why the screening questionnaire is mandatory, why loose metal must be left outside the room, and why the safety questions are asked more than once. Radiofrequency energy can also warm tissue and, rarely, metallic tattoo pigment or a wire loop; report any heating sensation immediately and the sequence will be stopped.
- Cardiac pacemaker or implantable defibrillator (ICD)
- Many older devices are not MRI-safe and the scan can damage them, alter their programming or heat the leads. Some newer devices are 'MR-conditional' and can be scanned only under a defined protocol with cardiology support. Bring your device identification card and tell the team when you book, not on the day.
- Cochlear implants and other implanted hearing devices
- Cochlear implants contain a magnet and are generally unsafe in an MRI scanner unless the specific model is documented as MR-conditional and the manufacturer's protocol is followed. Middle-ear prostheses and bone-anchored hearing aids also need to be identified and checked.
- Metallic foreign body in the eye
- If you have ever worked with metal grinding, welding or lathe work, or had a metal fragment injury to the eye, say so. A tiny retained ferromagnetic fragment can move in the magnetic field and damage the eye. A plain orbital X-ray is done first to exclude it — this is a genuine, not theoretical, safety issue.
- Aneurysm clips, vascular coils and older heart valve prostheses
- Modern clips and valves are usually MRI-compatible, but older ferromagnetic ones are not, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe. The exact device, model and implant date must be confirmed from your records before the scan is booked.
- Neurostimulators, insulin pumps, infusion pumps and programmable shunts
- Deep brain, spinal cord and vagus nerve stimulators, implanted drug pumps and programmable hydrocephalus shunt valves all need manufacturer-specific handling — some must be switched off, some reprogrammed afterwards, some preclude the scan entirely. Insulin pumps and continuous glucose sensors are removed before entering the room.
- Pregnancy
- MRI does not use radiation and is used in pregnancy when needed, but scanning in the first trimester is generally avoided unless the benefit is clear, and gadolinium contrast is avoided in pregnancy altogether. Tell the team so the decision is made deliberately.
- Severe kidney impairment, if contrast is planned
- Gadolinium-based contrast is cleared by the kidneys and has been linked with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in people with severe renal impairment. Kidney function is checked before any contrast-enhanced MRI, and a non-contrast protocol or an alternative agent is used where necessary.
- Severe claustrophobia, or inability to lie still
- The bore is a narrow tube and scans can run to 45 minutes. Say so in advance rather than discovering it inside the scanner: a wide-bore or open scanner, a prone or feet-first position, a mirror, music, a companion in the room, or mild sedation arranged with your doctor can all make the difference between a completed scan and an abandoned one.
- Loose metal, cosmetics and removable items
- Jewellery, watches, hairpins, hearing aids, dentures, piercings, underwired bras, transdermal medication patches (some contain a metallic foil backing and can burn), and metallic-particle makeup or eyelash extensions all come off before you enter the room. Even a hairclip becomes a projectile in a magnetic field.
Who should consider this scan
- Anyone with limb weakness, numbness or gait disturbance
- People with neck or back pain radiating below the knee or elbow
- Patients with suspected cord compression — an urgent indication
- Anyone with back pain plus fever, weight loss or a cancer history
- People with suspected inflammatory spinal arthritis
Conditions it helps detect
How it works
Patient stories
96% recommend“The phlebotomist arrived exactly on time and was gentle. My report came in five hours with a doctor’s note.”
“Booked at night, sample collected next morning. The parameter breakdown is genuinely thorough.”
“Loved the free doctor review — she walked me through my vitamin D and thyroid results clearly.”