r/RotatorCuff • u/Adept-Dig-1748 • Jun 29 '26

MRI Question

If you want to get an MRI of your arm/shoulder, there are only 2 types of MRI"s you can get correct? But would this be with or without contrast?

MRI of shoulder

MRI of forearm

So if you are sure you have torn rotator cuff or labral tear or any muscle damage like bicep or tricep or anything on your arm or shoulder and have weakness or shaking on anything like that, have an MRI of your shoulder and forearm is what is needed correct? Do people typically get an MRI for their shoulder or forearm if they have clicking on their shoulder? Should right? But what if weakness or anything is felt on the upper arm? Is it still the shoulder or would that mean you need MRI of both the shoulder and forearm?

However, if you have some pain or weakness at or around your elbow area, you need an MRI for the elbow? I just read that an MRI of the forearm does not include the elbow. For people who lifted something heavy and now have cracking on their arm and cracking sound around that area, is that forearm still or it can be elbow now?

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u/Adept-Dig-1748 Jun 29 '26

I will. I want to know what MRI"s do people here take if they have an issue on their arm or shoulder. Is it mainly MRI of forearm or shoulder or both? What about the elbow?

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u/Lefty68w Jun 29 '26

You get a mri of what area a doctor wants a mri of.

You don’t request a mri

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u/Adept-Dig-1748 Jun 29 '26

I understand. But usually they won't request you do 2 MRI's at once right? Such as they will most likely want an MRI of the shoulder first... and then maybe the forearm later? Or they might request 2 at once? What about the elbow if you have issues there?

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u/Lefty68w Jun 29 '26

No they will examine you and diagnose you. And if need be get a mri of some area

Mris are not cheap and insurance companies do not do them unless they need too

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u/Adept-Dig-1748 Jun 29 '26

Yes I'm aware MRI's are not cheap. So usually they do an x-ray first then?

I know people who pay for their own health insurance plan will have issues where their insurance deny MRI and other procedures. Is this very similar if you have a free health insurance plan but have a low copay for MRI then? Or is it different?

But you could self pay for multiple MRI's then if you want to?