I didn’t know that we needed a way to scan for muscle stiffness — I can usually tell where I’m sore — but Scan Painlessly Pinpoints Muscle Stiffness reports on the new use for MRI machines:
An experimental technique that uses widely available imaging technology is a painless way to measure muscle stiffness, researchers report.
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The technique, known as magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), involves the same scanner used to perform magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a technique that provides a good view of the internal structures of the body, particularly soft tissue, the brain, spinal cord and joints.
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Within an MRI scanner, the skin is vibrated, which causes waves to penetrate tissue and to multiply in muscle. Doctors take an image of these waves and then measure them to evaluate muscle stiffness.
I foresee the following exchange with an orthopedist in the future:
“You see these black dots?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s where you’re not stiff and sore.”
“Hmm…looks about right.”