What an MRI shows, what it costs privately, when you need a referral and what happens on the day.
For most rotator cuff questions, ultrasound is as accurate as MRI and a fraction of the price. Here is where each one actually wins.
MRIMRI and ultrasound can usually be self-referred in the UK. CT, X-ray, DEXA and mammography legally cannot - and there is a specific reason why.
MRIWhat the MR Safe, MR Conditional and MR Unsafe labels mean, what the safety questionnaire is really asking, and what to bring to your appointment.
MRIFour realistic routes through an MRI if enclosed spaces are difficult, with the honest trade-offs on image quality and price.
MRIMost UK private medical insurance covers MRI - but almost never automatically. Here is how pre-authorisation works and where claims go wrong.
MRINo major medical body recommends whole-body MRI for healthy people. Here is the evidence, the incidental-finding problem, the real total cost, and who it does suit.
MRIPrivate MRI prices for one body region run from about £250 to £900 in the UK. Here is what drives the number, and what is quietly left out of it.
MRINICE tells clinicians not to routinely image ordinary low back pain. Here is why, what a lumbar MRI does show, and the situations where it earns its money.
MRIWhat the NHS diagnostic waiting data actually says about MRI, how much faster private really is, and the one thing paying does not buy you.
MRINICE now puts MRI before biopsy for suspected localised prostate cancer. What the scan involves, what bi-parametric drops, and what a PI-RADS or Likert score means.
MRIThe short, practical list of what to take off, wash off and leave at home before an MRI, and why tattoos come up on the form at all.
MRIBrain MRI is the most detailed look at the brain available without surgery. It is also the wrong test for most headaches. Here is the honest version.
MRIA knee MRI sees the soft tissue an X-ray misses - and a lot of harmless wear that has nothing to do with your pain. Here is how to read that honestly.
MRIThe safety form, the earplugs, the call bell in your hand, and why nobody will tell you the result on the day - an honest walkthrough of a first MRI.