Private foot and ankle MRI scan

A foot MRI or ankle MRI uses an MRI scanner to take detailed pictures of the inside of your foot or ankle. It is usually requested after an examination, to look more closely at a problem such as a tendon injury, a possible stress fracture or pain that has not settled.

FindScan is a directory and enquiry service. We do not carry out scans or give medical advice. We list private clinics that offer MRI, show each clinic's own listed price, and pass your enquiry to the clinic you choose.

What a foot or ankle MRI shows

The NHS describes an MRI scan as a test that takes detailed pictures of the inside of your body, used to help find out what is causing symptoms and to check bones and organs. MRI does not use ionising radiation.

The foot and ankle contain many small bones, held together by ligaments and moved by tendons, including the Achilles tendon at the back of the heel. MRI is not the only option for these structures. An NHS orthopaedic hospital guide on Achilles tendinopathy says that if imaging is needed, it may be an ultrasound scan or an MRI scan depending on the clinical indication. Our guide to ultrasound vs MRI explains the difference.

Common reasons a foot or ankle MRI is requested

NHS sources describe these common problems:

• Achilles tendinopathy. Pain, swelling or impaired function of the Achilles tendon. Symptoms include aching around the heel that gets worse with activity, morning stiffness and tenderness over the tendon. The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital says clinical examination is usually enough to make the diagnosis, and most people improve with conservative treatment, although this can take several months or more.
• Ruptured Achilles tendon. The NHS lists sudden sharp pain in the heel, swelling, a popping or snapping sound during the injury and difficulty walking as possible signs of a heel fracture or ruptured Achilles tendon. This needs prompt assessment through NHS 111, not a private scan.
• Stress fractures. NHS guidance from University Hospitals Sussex explains that these happen when something puts too much stress on your bone, often after starting a new activity, increasing activity quickly or changing footwear. Not all stress fractures show on an X-ray. The same guidance says that if a new X-ray or scan would not change how the fracture is managed, you do not need one.
• Morton's neuroma. An enlargement and inflammation of a nerve in the ball of the foot, causing pain with numbness or tingling in the toes. Milton Keynes University Hospital says it is diagnosed from your symptoms and an examination; a foot X-ray is usually used to exclude other causes, and an ultrasound can confirm its size and location. See our private ultrasound page.
• Plantar fasciitis. The NHS describes sharp pain between the arch and heel that feels worse when you start walking and better when resting. NHS heel pain guidance suggests seeing a GP if it has not improved after 2 weeks of home treatment.
• Sprains and ligament injuries. The NHS says most sprains and strains feel better after 2 weeks, and that some injuries need an X-ray, which can sometimes be done at an urgent treatment centre.

When a scan is usually not the first step

NHS guidance for sprains and heel pain starts with self-care rather than scans. For sprains, that means protecting the injury, rest, ice, compression and keeping it raised. In many areas you can get physiotherapy from NHS community musculoskeletal (MSK) services without a GP referral, and a GP or physiotherapist can decide whether imaging would change your treatment. See our guide to seeing a GP before a scan.

When to see a GP, call 111 or go to A&E

• See a GP if heel pain is severe or stopping you doing normal activities, the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back, it has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks, you have tingling or loss of sensation in your foot, or you have diabetes and heel pain.
• Contact NHS 111 if you have severe heel pain after an injury, feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain, heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of injury, cannot walk, walk on tiptoes or walk up the stairs, or have swelling and bruising in your calf and ankle.
• Call 999 or go to A&E if you heard a crack when you had your injury, the injured part has changed shape or is pointing at an odd angle, the injured part is numb, tingling or has pins and needles, or the skin around the injury has changed colour, such as looking blue or grey, or is cold to touch.

Do you need a referral for a private foot or ankle MRI?

MRI does not use ionising radiation, so the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IR(ME)R) do not apply to it. Many private clinics accept self-referral for MRI, usually after their own safety screening, but each clinic sets its own policy. Some ask for a referral letter, and some offer a review with their own doctor first.

An X-ray is different. It uses ionising radiation, so under IR(ME)R every X-ray must be requested by a referrer and justified. See private MRI without a GP referral.

Preparing for your scan and safety

The NHS advises not wearing anything that has metal in it, such as jewellery, a bra or hair clips, and removing coins or keys from your pockets. You fill in a safety form that asks, for example, whether you are or may be pregnant and whether you have metal parts in your body such as surgical clips or a pacemaker.

The NHS says serious complications from an MRI scan are rare. Mention any metal or implant from previous foot or ankle surgery. Some people cannot have an MRI, or need extra checks first, and the clinic's safety screening decides this. See MRI safety and metal implants.

During the scan, and your results

You lie flat on a bed that moves into the scanner. The radiographer controls the scanner from another room but can hear and speak to you. You need to lie still so the scanner can take clear images, and because MRI scanners make loud bangs and clicks, you are given ear protection.

The NHS says an MRI scan usually takes between 15 minutes and 1 hour, but can take longer. Some scans use an injection of contrast medium (dye) to show more detail; the clinic will tell you if yours does. If enclosed spaces make you anxious, tell the clinic beforehand. See open vs closed MRI.

Your images are reported by an appropriately qualified clinician, and the report goes to you or your referrer depending on how the clinic works. The clinic will tell you how long its report takes. Plan to discuss the report with a GP, physiotherapist, podiatrist or specialist who can examine you. See scan results.

What affects the price

Each clinic sets its own price, and prices vary. The main factors are which area is scanned and whether both foot and ankle are needed, whether contrast is used, the type of scanner, whether a consultation is included, and where the clinic is. FindScan shows each clinic's own listed price as the clinic sets it, without mark-up. Check what is included before you send an enquiry. Our private MRI cost guide explains more.

How to compare foot and ankle MRI clinics on FindScan

Use FindScan search to see clinics near you that offer MRI. Compare locations, listed prices and clinic details, then send an enquiry to the clinic you choose. We pass your details to that clinic, which contacts you about your request, referral policy and availability. FindScan does not take bookings or payments.