severe pain during mri scan which has left bruising

Had an mri for shoulder, the technician warned me I would have pain afterwards, have had many mri's in my life, did not believe her. Wow!!! Within 1/2 hour was in a great deal of pain, was ill from all the pain. Not a pleasant experience.

I've been an MRI technician for nearly 10 years now. There are 2 main causes of potential discomfort during an MR exam and these are tissue heating and nerve stimulation.

Tissue heating is caused by the deposition of Radiofrequency (RF) energy. There are strict regulations on the amount of energy that can be deposited into a patient and it is directly related to the weight of the patient so the more a patient weighs the more energy is required to penetrate the body. The scanner will physically not allow us to scan with more energy than the FDA regulations allow. Assuming the patient does not have any implanted metallic devices the main potential for burns comes when there is skin contact with the side of the magnet bore. This is particularly prevalent during shoulder scans as the patient is off centred in the machine in an attempt to get the shoulder as close to the middle of the scanner as possible (the magnet is at its purest in the middle so the image quality is higher at this point compared to the outer surface) if we are scanning a right shoulder there is potential for heating/burns to the left side of the body especially if bare skin is touching the magnet bore. Insulating sponges should be used between patient skin and magnet bore should be used in to prevent this heating but unfortunately this does not always happen.

Had a MRI scan on my right shoulder to determine if rotator cuff surgery is needed, due to severe pain and reduced range of movement. During the last ten minutes of the MRI, I experienced intense, severe pain in my right shoulder to the point of tears. Fortunately, I did not move and completed the MRI. My comment to the technician fell on deaf ears as "the MRI could not cause the pain". As a side note, I had no problem with the sounds or confinement in the machine.

Had a MRI scan on my right shoulder to determine if rotator cuff surgery is needed, due to severe pain and reduced range of movement. During the last ten minutes of the MRI, I experienced intense, severe pain in my right shoulder to the point of tears. Fortunately, I did not move and completed the MRI. My comment to the technician fell on deaf ears as "the MRI could not cause the pain". As a side note, I had no problem with the sounds or confinement in the machine.

I've had 2 MRI's over the past 3 months, both related to the same fall. My left upper arm was badly bruised.I waited almost 6 weeks before seeing my doc for low back pain. During the MRI my bruised arm began to hurt. I didn't think much of it till hubby noted that the bruise (that was almost gone) was now much darker. The arm also hurt more. A few weeks later I had a MRI of the neck........same thing happened, only now my arm & shoulder continue to hurt!
My thought was the large bruise(11"x 6") contained enough red blood cells to be effected by the machine. Just a guess!

I just came home from s 30 minute MRI scan on my right knee prior to replacement surgery. I have had numerous scans before with no problems.,,,but this was so painful. It felt like it was tearing it up inside. Each change in the scan sound ...frequency...seem to increase the pain. I would put it at a 8 or 9 on the pain scale. I asked the tech to stop for a break, but it would mean starting all over again. My knee turned red and I can still freel residual pain. The techs were sceptical about what happened. Seems others havd had same problem,

I have also experienced intense pain during a knee and hip MRI of the same leg. I am still having a great deal more pain than I had before the MRI and can hardly walk. Have you found any relief or explanation?

I just had a 2nd elbow mri also.both sides of elbow are now bruised. My surgeon explained that because it was it that position and that we know the ligaments are torn it's possibly more tearing in that position. I couldn't even bend it for 3 hours after. I'm in a hinged brace to prevent the straight position and prevent it from dislocation.

The one you were in was an open MRI most are like tubes you go into, I've had so many, this is the first time I've had any pain when having an MRI and that was this morning, I am still in pain as well as sore, thats never happened for me, I haven't looked to see if there's bruising just hoping not.

I went for an MRI of my shoulder yesterday morning, It didn't go very well! I had to have a shoulder apparatus thing which was huge, and my arm, and hand to be placed in such a way, that it cause me excruciating pain, and they put a heavy weight on my hand, and arm to hold it in place, and said there would be another weight added, and that it would take 30 minutes to complete, as long as I didn't move at all! I didn't open my eyes the entire time I was in the MRI machine. I thought if I did, that I might freak out, I wasn't sure if I was claustrophobic or not, I was in there for what seemed to be 20 minutes, with excruciating pain, and started feeling very sick, so I ask the lady how long had I been in there at this point, she said, you've been in for 5 minutes, I was like OMG, I thought it was more like 20 minutes, she again said no, it's only been 5 minutes, so needless to say, she thought, that I am a bit claustrophobic, I then said I can't do this, and to get me out of there now, because I was going to be sick. She said no worries, and don't feel bad, that there's even grown men that can't handle it, and that the MRI of the shoulder is the hardest, and most painful MRI to go through, and that there's not many people, that can get all the way through it. I hate that I couldn't do it, I still don't really think/know if was me having been claustrophobic, I feel as though the pain was just so unbearable, that it made me feel so sick, and that's why I couldn't do it! And now I have to wait 2 more weeks to have the MRI done in an open bore MRI, but this time with Valium, I already called it into my Doctor, thank goodness! I wish that I didn't have to wait so long, because I can't take this pain much longer!

Hi,

I too experienced/am experiencing burning after MRI. How are you now? (I know this post is old).

I had a scan of orbits (head) February 2016 and three months later I am still experiencing a burning sensation.

It looked like I had sunburn to start with and now my skin is still flushed and hyper sensitive. When I scratch it goes red and welts and stings like heck for ages.

I have seen a few accounts of this, but people just can't seem to find answers. Medics just say 'I've never heard of that' and diagnose stress or virus, or in my case 'I don't know, here are some antidepressants'.

I have made a Facebook group called MRI Victims. We will find answers better if we are all in one place. The medical community need to be aware that MRI is not the safe imaging device they think it is.

Good luck everyone, and if you have any news, please share.

Have you had any luck yet? I hope you're all better now.

I too have had pain since my MRI in Feb this year. I have made a group called MRI Victims on Facebook to get people who are suffering/have suffered together.

I had MRI upper Extremity of both shoulders yesterday 6/24/16. Left shoulder was in pain during the scan even though he put some cushions in there. I weight 100.8lb & wondered why I was asked my weight at check in. I went to bed soon after I got home, thought I was just worn out. This morning my entire area around my shoulders front to back is in pain. I searched 'pain after MRI' & ended up here & learned alot. The machine was the open kind.

I had the same experience of ensuing pain after the MRI however. I had a hip MRI, and I fell asleep during the process. When I tried to get off the tableafterwards- my hip absolutely killed me with pain. For 5 days after it has been really irritated and painful. I can only guess the MRI had everything to do with it.

I had back to back MRIs yesterday, one on my upper back for a pinched nerve or something, the second for a torn rotator cuff. The pain on the 1st one was 7-8 by the end (40 minutes?) the second on my shoulder was a solid 10 by the time it was over. Pain building and building, you can't move or you have to start over. I thought my teeth would break I had them clenched so tight...and the techs think you're crazy! or lying??! Never again unless I'm knocked out...maybe all the Ozzie I used to listen to (heavy metal, get it?)