Are MRI Arthrograms painful?
I have dealt with a lot of pain in my lifetime. I’ve had two children, I have had surgery on both hands for carpal tunnel syndrome, both shoulders have been operated on, a gallbladder removed and a major neck surgery. This girl KNOWS pain, and I can deal with a lot of it. Recently, however, I experienced one of the most brutal things in my life – an incredibly painful MRI Arthrogram. If you are wondering if MRI Arthrograms are painful, read on:
I’ve had hip pain for close to a year, and on the last visit to my doctor, she wrote an order for an MRI with and without contrast. My insurance company rejected that, but said that they could do an MRI with contrast only. Great, I’ve had those done before – it’s not a big deal!
When I arrived at the facility and started filling out paperwork, it mentioned an Arthrogram MRI. I was unfamiliar with this type of test and read the paperwork which listed the risks. I was called in and led to a room with a table and an X-ray machine above it. I put on a fancy little hospital robe and got on the table. There was a technician (doctor) and a nurse in the room with me. The technician explained that they were going to inject a local anesthetic in my groin/hip area, then insert another needle for the contrast to be administered. He said I might feel a “fullness”.
I was doing okay when he put the first needle in. It didn’t feel great, but it was certainly tolerable. He announced that he was going to insert the needle for the contrast, and I was prepared. Well, I thought I was prepared at least. He kept pushing it further and further RIGHT into my hip joint/socket. When he actually released the contrast liquid, I damn near jumped off of the table, while screaming some “unladylike” words. I held still the best I could until he was done and the needle was removed. “Needle” sounds so innocent. It felt more like a jackhammer.
I sat up on the table and immediately started crying. It hurt SO bad. When I went to get off the table I thought I would buckle. I could barely put weight on that foot but it was time to walk to the MRI. Looking back, I would have asked for a wheelchair. Unfortunately the MRI was still occupied, so they had me sit in dressing room (little cubicles lining the hallway). I thought I would die – the pain was UNREAL! I couldn’t sit and I couldn’t stand. I was completely miserable. A nurse came by and was very concerned, but she said that the MRI should open up soon. It felt like forever, but finally I limped my way to the MRI machine.
The tech got me all situated, including taping my feet with my toes pointing toward each other. I was still crying because of the pain, and as they moved me into the tube, I knew it was going to be a horrible experience. Not only was I sobbing and shaking, but the pain prevented me from being able to hold still. I was trying SO hard and it was brutal. It was pure agony. After about 20 minutes the tech came in and said that they couldn’t get a clear picture and we needed to try again. Again?? I was so upset and the thought of doing it again was terrifying. I just wanted to get it over with since I had come this far already, so in I went for a second time. I tried extra hard this time, because I didn’t want to have to try a 3rd time. Still in tears, I tried to talk myself through it. Being trapped like that while in excruciating pain just seems barbaric to me. The tech pulled me out after 15 minutes and said again that the film is blurry because I was moving too much. He wanted to try a third time and I just couldn’t. I was not only in pain, but I was frustrated because all of this was for naught. I vowed that I would never do this again, and I never will.
Driving home was “fun” too.
I don’t understand why they wouldn’t put someone out for this procedure, like a twilight sleep or at least something to lessen the pain or make a person not remember the procedure at all. This experience was incredibly traumatic for me, and I am just really surprised that I haven’t heard more about it.
I read some online forums when I got home, as I was curious if it was just me. Nope, there were plenty of people saying that it was incredibly painful and the worst pain of their life. Like me, many said that they would NEVER do this again.
I ended up going ahead with my appointment with the orthopedist (initially I was waiting for results of an MRI), and he said they are typically looking for a cartilage labrum tear in the hip area when they do an MRI. It turns out that I have a lot of arthritis in my hip, as well as bursitis. He gave me three options for treatments – prescription anti-inflammatory medicine, cortisone shots, or hip replacement surgery (he didn’t recommend the latter just yet, as I am still kind of young for that). I opted for the anti-inflammatories, as I swore I would never, ever have another cortisone injection, after my really bad experience with a cortisone shot in my knee years ago.
If before your procedure, you asked yourself “Are MRI Arthrograms painful?”, I would love to hear your thoughts after the procedure. I would be grateful if you can leave a comment sharing your story.
11 Responses
This is the first I’ve heard of a MRI Arthrograms. Sounds painful!
Um, no thanks!
I have been suffering with hip pain for over three years and it has become so life altering that I have decided it’s time to do something before I end up in a wheelchair. Of course, my doctor started with the least invasive remedies like an x-ray, an anti-inflammatory and physical therapy, but after lack of positive results, she ordered an MRI Arthrogram. I just had that last week. I too have a long history of injury and surgery including abdominal hysterectomy, open reduction of a shattered forearm, (due to a motorcycle wreck,) carpal tunnel release, thumb arthritis surgery (which involves removing a metacarpal bone), open heart mitral valve repair, and robotic assisted abdominal prolapsed organ repair. I too know pain.
I wasn’t looking forward to the Arthrogram because I knew that there was going to be an injection into my hip joint. This particular doctor does not use any numbing agents prior to the procedure– he just counted to three and jammed it in. Then he jammed it in a little farther. And again. The initial stab made me tense up and take a huge breath and for the rest of the time until the needle came out, I was hyperventilating and getting dizzy. It most definitely hurt, but I’ve suffered other things that hurt a lot more.
In the MRI machine, with my toes taped together holding my hip joints in a painful position, I was whining, and tears were streaming at about 20 minutes. My hip and back hurt so bad I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to walk once it was over. After 30 minutes, to my surprise, as soon as the technician removed the tape from my feet, the pain dissipated, and I was able to limp away in my normal fashion. The condition of my hip has been deteriorating more quickly since the arthrogram, however. Whether that is linked or not, I cannot say for sure. What I do know is that the arthrogram was a necessary procedure that the orthopedic surgeon needs in order to know what will be required to help me. I see him next week.
I had one done today, now I haven’t experienced half of what you ladies have gone through, but im terrified of needles. My doctor didnt tell me there would be needles, and seeing as how i have had an MRI done before, sans the needles, i had no reason to suspect there would be any involved. I get the call to book my appointment and thats when they used the word arthrogram. I wasn’t familiar with the term so they gave me a brief description of the procedure, and when they mention needles, i was nervous but figured it would be to knock me out while the procedure was being done. Weird, but i figured it was a precaution if one were to be claustrophobic or whatnot. Once i get there, i ask how many needles i will get stabbed with, and the lady says two. Now, i had mentally prepped myself for one, but two?? I was terrified. Then they told me it was gonna have lidocaine. I dont know if you’re familiar with how it feels, but it gives a burning sensation, like a beesting. When we get to the xray room, im shaking. I ask to see the needles ill be getting poked with, and theyre both long, and while one is super thin, the other looks like .5 pencil lead, or whichever one is that thicker one. It was bad enough with a long one, but a thick one too?! I was in the middle of an anxiety attack when the doctor came in. As he put the iodine on my skin to prep the sterile field, i said that i couldnt do this. I wanted to be done there. The doctor said to just try it and if at any point i needed to stop we could. It calmed me down a bit when two nurses cane and let me hold their hands, but when the doctor started the injections, i was in so much pain. For the first one, i was able to get by through some tightly clenched teeth and a couple yelps. Again, i dont know if you’re familiar with how lidocaine works, but it needs a few minutes to fully kick in. The doctor just went for it. He immediately put in the second needle, the one with contrast, the thick one, and I SCREAMED. It was no longer about the fear of it hurting, it was the way i could feel the needle going in slowly, but this guy just kept going. I was begging him to stop but he insisted it was just the fear of pain that made it worse. True or not (not true) it didnt change the fact that i was screaming in pain. Those two nurses started using their free hands to hold my shoulders down because i was moving so much. Twice more he put in lidocaine, without waiting of course before continuing, and with every push my voice echoed in the hall. By the time it was over, i couldnt feel my foot, i was dizzy, my vision was blurry with tears, and they just told me to walk back to my dressing room. They taped my feet in a painful position during the MRI, and once it was all over i sat in the dressing room and sobbed. A nurse had to tell me to leave, and no one told me to bring someone to drive me, so i had to drive home. It sucked to drive. All in all, i recommend NEVER GETTING THIS DONE. NOT WORTH IT. I much would have rathered my hip hurt. The arthrogram hurt more than my hip did before. I can berely walk, 12 hours later.
I too had an MRI after they discovered a giant tumor on my right kidney. The entire kidney was removed but the MRI still gives me nightmares. But how can you avoid it if you need it again? Thank you for sharing your story!
Just had my first and last one ever today. My Ortho doctor who sent me for the MRI said they would numb me up, no big deal. They did not numb me up and went right into the hip with the big needle. It was the worst pain I have had to endure since childbirth and he even had to back the needle in and out to get it in just the right spot before adding the dye. A procedure I was told only takes a minute or two lasted closer to 10 minutes. The introduction of the dye was not painful but every millimeter he pushed that needle into my hip is pain I will never forget. I will heal on my own or be crippled before I ever have to experience something like that again fully awake. I’ve had pain and cramping in my groin and leg ever since. I don’t recommend it.
I had one today in my wrist. I told the dr who administered it that giving birth naturally was less painful. She told me I was over exaggerating! I definitely wasn’t and I have 4 children, one was delivered in an ambulance! I am with you…never again!
After reading all of these comments, I was properly frightened. I need the arthogram for a proper diagnosis of my hip pain. Well, the worst bit of this procedure was my anxiety and anticipation. The lidocaine injection stung a bit; I’ve had worse lidocaine pain. The nurse did share that the doctor is very generous with the lidocaine. After the lidocaine injection, I felt slight pressure and that is all. I felt no further pain after the injections. Walked to the MRI unassisted, prayed during the MRI (only because that is what i do) and left the facility on my own accord.
I hope there are others who have had a good experience who will share to balance out this feedback. I have some arthritis but not extensive so that may be why my procedure was not as painful as well as the generous lidocaine, which is still relieving the hip pain 20 hours later.
I just had an MRI with contrast done on my left shoulder. Let me tell you, I will never have this done again. Here I am thinking, ok, IV in vein and then contrast goes in that way. Nope. I was taken in a different area, taken into another room, and was told I was going to have lidocaine put in my shoulder, then the contrast. I was giving this guy side glances as he’s explaining this to me. I told him oh great, I have refused cortisone shot in my shoulder and I’m getting contrast in my shoulder.
Now let me explain the pain I’ve endured. Partial knee replacement in left knee, scope in right knee to fix meniscus tear. Been shot in left fore arm. Gave birth to 5 kids, labor pain sucks.
But this hurt 100x worse than all that. The Dr injected lidocaine and didn’t even wait for my shoulder to get numb before he injected second needle in to injected contrast. I screamed curse words at him, and all he could say was, we don’t like people in pain.
Went to get MRI, and no more than 5 mins in the machine breaks down. Oh great. I’m in pain, waiting for machine to restart, then endure more pain while laying there. I highly don’t recommend anyone to go thru this. It’s so painful.
I had to have one for a possible Rotor Cuff tear. Yip, it us pure hell!!! The intense pain of the meds going in, is a wallop to the system! I held on thru the dye injection, Dr wrapped up, and left the room. Nurse sits me up, and all he’ll broke loose! The room was closing in on me. I tried so hard to fight what was happening, but out I went! I came out of my blackness to my legs half off the table and stiff as a board! Nurses were running around me, and I was a puddle of sweat! Apparently I had so much adrenaline going, I had a seizure and passed out! I’m so terrified to have e another one, as I know I need one. My cuff was ripped, and I know think it’s worse. I just know they will want another MRI. I would rather have the pain of the cuff, than have that done again…at least while I’m awake.
I just had a shoulder arthrogram this morning W/ only topical anesthetic and other than a little odd pressure on the inside I did not feel a single thing.
Certainly not discounting anyone’s experience but it was more painful for me sitting still in the MRI than getting the dye injection.
Hopefully anyone reading this can note a wide variety of experiences!
I’m glad to see your response! I’m having one on my knee tomorrow morning. I knew ahead of time what the arthrogram was, but decided to Google it again tonight. Like everyone else, I’ve had many surgeries, and pretty much don’t care what they do to me as long as I don’t know what’s going on. Guess I should have asked about sedation ahead of time. Fingers crossed I have a similar experience to Brian’s!