Spooky, scary, skeletons are everywhere! However, most of them are encased in muscles, skin, and other bodily tissue, working as a functioning system to create the people around you. Everyone has a skeletal system as well as many complex internal structures that could not be viewed with the naked eye without invasive procedures until the invention of medical imaging technology. Now, doctors can use several machines to see into the body without any invasive procedures, allowing them to diagnose an issue and create a plan for treatment more quickly and safely than ever before!
Modern Medicine
Living in the world today can be stressful, and there are plenty of times where everyone wishes we could be back in a simpler time; however, we do reap the benefits of many modern innovations like almost universal indoor plumbing, electricity, Wi-Fi, and medical procedures that work. In the days before medicine was standardized and well researched, the odds of surviving even a simple injury were slim due to the risk of infection and a lack of knowledge on how to treat basic medical issues.
Modern medicine is a truly amazing innovation, and one of the best things to come from this is medical imaging. The first medical imaging technology was the X-Ray, invented on November 8, 1895, by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (NCBI). Until then, no doctor had ever seen inside the body without some form of incision. After the invention of the X-Ray, the design was improved upon until now where X-Rays are a safe and effective way to investigate the body and see bones and lighter outlines of other bodily structures.
A Look Inside Yourself
After the X-Ray came more technologically advanced types of medical imaging technologies such as Ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans. Each of these types of imaging uses a different type of energy to construct an image of the internal structures in the body.
Ultrasound technology utilizes high frequency sound waves to construct an image- it is often used to view inside a pregnant mother’s womb to see a more detailed look at her growing child; however, it can be used to investigate other internal organs like the bladder, kidneys, and liver.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a technology that uses incredibly strong magnetic fields surrounding the body to create detailed images of tissues in the body. The MRI can be used to detect issues in anything from soft tissue to bones and is sometimes used in chiropractic care to see the specific issue in full detail.
Computed Tomography (CT) technology is not that different from X-Rays, and it actually uses the same technology though it has been enhanced through the use of a computer to create cross-sectional ‘slices’ of images of the internal organs and structures in the body that can be used to diagnose issues in internal organs, joints, and bones!
Final Thoughts
Looking inside yourself is more than just a philosophical exercise nowadays, and it can certainly be useful to have access to medical imaging technology if you are experiencing medical issues because imaging can be used to diagnose a wide range of conditions. With the rise in modern medicine, treatments and diagnostic procedures are safer, faster, and more effective than ever before, and that’s great news for anyone who needs healthcare!
