CLEVELAND (WKBN) — Getting an MRI scan can be a scary experience for some, especially for those who don’t like small spaces. To get a clear image, the patient has to be very still. Doctors with the Cleveland Clinic are finding alternative ways to ease stress without using medications.
Some scans can take a long time: up to about an hour. MRI technician Angel Houston led a study finding ways to best calm patients while undergoing MRI scans. She found the best way was not through a pill, but aromatherapy.
She says sometimes a patient may not express nerves until the scan has already started.
“A lot of patients don’t realize they’re claustrophobic until they go into the scanner, which becomes a little bit overwhelming because they feel confined,” Houston said.
What she discovered is that the aromatherapy reduced patient anxiety — improving image quality. Houston says she places a tab with essential oil on the inside of the machine.
This study has been done in normal settings how aromatherapy can help calm people — but little has been done with that information in a medical setting.