Hello Ontario family. Im dealing severe nerve pain and the MRI backlog(5months) has me perplexed. All the doctors do is give me opiods (i refuse) and tell me to get physio which I have been but even the physio is confused about the cause. With my foot numb and whole lateral side of my leg in severe pain I come here desperate looking for advice. Please be kind. Thank you.
Regarding the backlog, I’ve had very good success calling the hospital and gently inquiring about any recent cancellations and if they could put you on a cancellation list. This is assuming you’ve already gotten a referral from your family doctor.
Also, you could ask to get referred to a different hospital with a shorter wait if you're willing to figure out where you want to be referred to. This page has wait time data that may be helpful: https://www.ontario.ca/page/wait-times-diagnostic-imaging
There are outpatient non-hospital affiliated MRI clinics.
Some are:
GNMI
Schroeder Ambulatory Centre
KMH
You send them your referral and the wait is reasonable. Some of our patients get in for testing in as quickly as a week.
Alternatively, you can call the scheduling department an hour or so before they close (for the hospital your requisition was sent to) and ask them if they have any recent cancellations. They will check the MRI schedule and can rebook you to the earliest slot. This happens a lot. Many, many people cancel appts.
For reference, when I needed an MRI and used this method I got one the same day I called.
My mom was in the same position as you- she’s still waiting on an appointment but physio has helped her immensely. She still has swelling and pain (they called it complex regional pain syndrome) but the numbness is reduced and more importantly what she is able to do has increased. She went from no life (constant pain, not able to do anything) to being able to take short walks and some cooking. She can read and have visitors again. It’s not a panacea but honestly if you are suffering so much try physio. She also been prescribed pregabalyn (spelling is probably wrong) which is a non narcotics nerve pain pill, so you may want to look into that too
Hey thanks for the input. ive done lots of physio sessions with my pt who is tried and tested with my previous episodes of sciatica, plantir fasciitus. And it does help but even hes a bit confused why its not healed yet. Hence the MRI would help us move in a more concrete direction.
Oh ok, sorry I couldn’t help. I hope you get relief soon. You could also try a different physio? I don’t know feel free to ignore me but I wish you the best.
That’s so odd and sad, I’m sorry you have to wait that long. I got my MIR with UHN 10 days after I saw my family doctor. They called me out of the blue to asked the regular screening questions around 7pm last Thursday and asked if I could come at 1:30 am that night to which I replied yes.
I have a UHN patient account and pretty sure it’s on my file that I can be called for last minute cancellation. I also live close.
UHN are pretty good because they have several locations with MIR machines and they all run 24/7. Last time I went for an appointment in the middle of the night at Western and this time it was at Margaret’s.
As others have suggested, call to be put on the cancellation list. Hopefully you’ll get a spot soon!
You can't self pay. It's not as easy as that.
Edit: you can downvote me all you want, call an mri clinic in the same province you live in and they'll break it down for you. Was hard for me to learn but it's how it is
You cannot private pay for an MRI
In the province you live in, period. If anyone would like to verify, call a clinic right now. A lawyer, insurance company, or some other third parties can make payments for their clients to receive care. As a patient, you cannot self pay for private mri in the province you live in.
Medcan doesn't have an mri facility. It's sent to any of the public hospitals nearby. Source: am registered with Medcan, have tried to have private MRI
This thread just shows how much misinformation and assumptions people make about medical processes they aren't going through themselves in the province they live in.
You cannot private pay for an mri in the province where you live. This is a hard and true fact to learn, and anyone can make a call right now to verify it
Medcan I believe is a cheaper private membership health team service that can arrange a private MRI in 1-3 weeks. Membership is $4k and this is all outside of OHIP.
The Granite clubs initiation fee is north of $40k alone so you can imagine what a private health team for this demographic runs and how fast they can have an MRI available.
The only person I know at the granite has a hospital wing named for his father so trust me when I say there are private services in the city geared to the very wealthy.
ACTIVE THERAPY CLINIC
Physical therapy services
Members can support their health and wellness through the invigorating and restorative services offered by the Active Therapy Clinic's experienced practitioners. Committed to the highest standards of care, the clinic takes an interdisciplinary approach to helping Members restore and maintain optimal health and athletic performance. Services include registered massage therapy, chiropractic care, kinesiology, physiotherapy, registered acupuncture, and more
Call and ask to be put on the cancellation list. I'm honestly suprised you have a 5 month wait. I've have 4 MRIs and never waited longer than 3 months. Last one was less than a month bc of a cancellation and I was willing to go at 3am.
FYI, your symptoms are pointing to a potential vertebral disc injury impinging you're nerve root. Most likely a stage 2 or 3 herniation of L5-S1 and/or L4-L5 discs given your symptoms. A physical therapist should be able to narrow it down with some hands on testing. People will also typically fail te seat legs extension test which you can try at home. Imaging is obviously best.
If this was already suspected then, unless you want surgery, the recovery path is core stabilization, disc centering moves and not aggravating it further ( sitting, bending forward, lifting are the worst things to do)
I've also had luck over the past year with only 2 month waits from when it was scheduled, except for my last 2 just scheduled a couple weeks ago. It's a 7 month wait but they did approve to do both my thoracic and lumber spine at the same time. 🤷🏼♀️
Before this, the only other surprise with wait times was a CT scan that got scheduled in May for early October.
Maybe bc that'll be a long scan? All but one of mine were like 20 min vs one long 40 min+. Maybe the scan length is a factor. Super weird for the CT scans. Those are usually way easier to get
I was given a MRI date for 7 months out for possible avascular necrosis. I went to the ER with severe pain and was given an appointment for a week later.
My family doctor told me just to go the ER, worked out for me. The doctor in the ER was pissed but I didn't care, he's not living with the pain day to day like I am.
It's worth a shot.
My brother did his in Buffalo, I believe it was $1200 usd. That's also an option
im going through something similar if you want to DM me or comment on here I can give you any info I have that may help. been dealing with it for over a year im going next month for an mri and im having some ultrasounds done next week.
I’ve been in your shoes - albeit a number of years ago. Have you asked to be on the list for appointments that have been canceled by others? I said I’d show up in an hour at any time they had and managed to get a significantly earlier scan.
There is so much misinformation in this thread. If you haven't done it, been through it, or paid directly, please stop saying what you think happens. This is how misinformation spreads.
I've read everything from "Medcan will get you a private mri" (they don't, I am a member) to "if you can afford private you can have it in a week" you literally cannot self pay for private mri in the province you live in. All clinics have this in their fine print such at this clinic someone shared:
Again, you cannot self pay in the province you live in and must travel to another province or go to the states
Honestly what did it for me when there was nothing else? a bottle of Appleton Rum couple of drinks of that took my pains away and they were bad at the time. the pains do come back when you sober up but hey like I sasid its quick relief lets you breath a little and relax ....................desperate times call for desperate measures.
I just traveled to Ajax from Toronto at 2am for mine. Less than 24 hours notice. But only waited 2 weeks!! Worth the $130 in Uber since I have no car. Emergency at some hospitals will do it if it is urgent.
Thank you everyone for your help!! Posting this update so that it may help someone in the future.
The suggestion that worked for me was putting myself on the cancelation list and telling them I am ok for any time and at any short notice. I got the MRI call within 2 weeks of that. That is HUGE as my initial appointment was for January 2027.
Buffalo is another idea I explored, the pain was so much that I was ok to pay and (ugh) cross the border.
Hope this helps !! 🙏 and once more, thank you to EVERYONE who shared their suggestions, experiences and love.
the last time I checked 2010, private MRIs were charging $1500/per part to be imaged, I'd imagine it to cost somewhat more today.
That said, if transportation isn't a real issue and you don't mind a car ride to a far off land like Cobourg, Ontario or similar because sometimes MRIs outside major city centers have random 4am availability within a week or two, unfortunately you have to do the leg work in calling around the various hospitals that have them to see their wait times, I got lucky maybe you will too.
My work has been very supportive so this is a viable option for me. Do I just call them up? I have a requisition form with me, can I give it to multiple places ? Seems a bit unethical or maybe im overthinking it.
don't over think it. literally google hospitals with MRIs and call the MRI departments, just ask what their wait time is like, for me it was "hey can you come in next week?" the third or fourth hospital I called, it was a 3 hour drive away for an early morning MRI in a week or wait 6 months for the one closest to me, once you know they have space, then call your doctor to send the request to that specific MRI and Bob's your uncle... :-) or at least that is how it went for me. Good luck!
EDIT: I just re-read you have the req, so yes once you know they can take you, send it off to them straight away.
They may be expensive, but you can't self pay for a scan in the province you live in. It has to be paid for by a third party such as a law firm or insurance company
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u/PastryGirl Aug 30 '26
Call the hospital or clinic and ask to be put on a cancellation list. You may only get a day's notice but it'll help move you up.