{"id":183,"date":"2014-11-19T18:00:59","date_gmt":"2014-11-19T18:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rayusradiology.com\/?p=183"},"modified":"2022-10-25T15:09:33","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T20:09:33","slug":"how-to-get-through-an-mri-if-youre-claustrophobic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rayusradiology.com\/blog\/how-to-get-through-an-mri-if-youre-claustrophobic\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Through an MRI if You\u2019re Claustrophobic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Even carrying a gallon of milk was painful for Shahina Nasar. She tried physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture and medication, but after six months of suffering from the sharp, stabbing pain in her right shoulder, her doctor ordered an MRI. The only problem: Shahina couldn\u2019t make it through the exam. When she got on the table for her first MRI, she said she felt like she couldn\u2019t breathe. \u201cThe feeling is like something is putting a pressure on your chest,\u201d even though there was nothing there.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it all in your head?\u201d Seattle-based therapist Lisa Crunick<\/a> explains, \u201cI would say it\u2019s in your subconscious, but I would say, in the moment, you don’t have control.\u201d Crunick says what\u2019s driving a claustrophobic\u2019s fear is the feeling you can\u2019t escape. \u201cThey don\u2019t identify with claustrophobia, they identify with what triggers them. They\u2019ll say things like, \u2018Oh, I don\u2019t like to fly,\u2019 or \u2018I don\u2019t ride in the backseat of the car,\u2019 or \u2018I don\u2019t do elevators.\u2019 If you start asking questions you realize it is the fear of being in an enclosed space.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to getting an MRI, those feelings aren\u2019t uncommon. RAYUS Radiology (RAYUS) Center Manager Desiree Rocovich estimates that during the screening call to set up an appointment, four out of 10 patients voice concern. The primary worry is staying static in the magnet, meaning that they have to stay still inside the machine until the imaging is complete. \u201cWe ask them, \u2018Are you claustrophobic? Are you able to lay on your back?\u2019 A lot of times we\u2019re finding out they\u2019re not able to do that,\u201d Rocovich says.<\/p>\n

Now, with different MRI options available to patients, they’ll have a better chance of completing their exam so that they can get the answers they need.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Claustrophobia Option 1: High-Field Open MRI<\/h3>\n

\"High-Field<\/p>\n

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\"\"RAYUS offers two alternatives to the traditional MRI. The first option is a High-Field Open MRI. Instead of a tube-like machine, this MRI has open sides and nothing pushes on your arms or shoulders. RAYUS technologist Terry Trescott operates the High-Field Open MRI and says many of her patients have a combination of a high body mass index (BMI) and claustrophobia. Terry says many people are relieved when they walk into the room and see the High-Field Open. \u201cThey\u2019ve had a poor experience in the regular MRI and then they come here and see it\u2019s more open, there\u2019s more air flow. It just looks more comfortable to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the High-Field Open MRI doesn\u2019t work for everyone. Shahina showed up for her appointment, took two sedatives and one look at the machine and backed out. \u201cThe technician was very sweet. He kept telling me this happens to a lot of people,\u201d Shahina remembers. \u201cHe tried everything to calm me down. But I just couldn\u2019t do it. I was too claustrophobic. It was way too close.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Open<\/p>\n

Claustrophobia Option 2: Open Upright MRI<\/h3>\n
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\"\"Running out of options and still in pain, Shahina made an appointment at RAYUS\u2019s Renton center<\/a>\u00a0for an Open Upright MRI. During the exam the patient is usually seated or standing and there\u2019s nothing in front of your face. The Open Upright MRI in Renton is the only one in Washington State<\/a>\u00a0and patients come from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii for exams.<\/p>\n

Watch this video<\/a>\u00a0to see what it’s like to have an Open Upright MRI<\/h4>\n

Dr. Ranjeet Singh<\/a>, a neuroradiologist at RAYUS, describes the Upright MRI as an open-architecture MRI. \u201cPeople who have feelings of claustrophobia, they will find the MRI experience much more comfortable than in a traditional closed MRI scanner.\u201d The Open Upright MRI\u2019s magnet is not as strong as a traditional or High-Field Open MRI. Dr. Singh says that means the images may not be as clear, but it offers a good alternative for helping to diagnose a patient with claustrophobia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

3 Tips for Overcoming Claustrophobia<\/h3>\n
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\u201cIt really is possible, it\u2019s very possible to desensitize yourself to whatever it is that triggers the feeling of being terrified,\u201d Therapist Lisa Crunick explains. She says that work can\u2019t start the day before your scheduled MRI appointment, though. \u201cIt\u2019s so doable,\u201d Crunick says. \u201cIt\u2019s really unnecessary for people who have fears like that to navigate their life around avoiding certain things.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first step to facing your fears, Crunick advises, is tracking down the initial event that caused them. In this video, she explains what therapists call the sensitizing event:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n