Going to the doctor can be scary enough for young children. So the idea of an X-Ray or MRI may prove particularly stressful. You see sophisticated equipment that can help identify risks to your child’s health. Your child, however, may simply see a big machine with laser-like lights strong enough to see through their skin and bones. Her perception of what it’s like to get an X-Ray or MRI can be intimidating. To help ease your child’s fears – and perhaps even make the experience a fun one – Precision Imaging Centers of Jacksonville offers these tips:

Precision Imaging Centers offers tips on making your child's X-Ray or MRI a fun experience.

• First, explain the process of an X-Ray or MRI to your child in simple terms. It’s best to do this shortly before the exam for younger children because they have shorter attention spans. Older children and teens will appreciate being given more time to understand and prepare themselves for the exam. They’ll likely want to search the Internet for information and feel that they are taking some charge of their own health.

• For younger children, role playing the process with a favorite doll or stuffed animal can help make the experience seem fun. Adding that element of fun can be incredibly comforting.

• Assure your child that getting an X-Ray or MRI will not hurt. An injection of IV contrast may be administered if your child is getting an MRI. You can explain that contrast is a little like Easter egg or T-shirt dye and it helps make the pictures brighter and easier for the doctor to see what’s going on inside your child’s body.

• Also explain that the knocking sound she hears during the MRI simply means that the machine is clicking away the pictures. Some children worry that the sound means the machine is broken.

• Encourage your child to speak up if she has any questions or concerns. Let her know that it’s okay to talk with the doctor herself – and be sure you choose a doctor who has a warm and comforting bedside manner. Most of all, make sure your child understands that getting an X-Ray or MRI doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong – it’s just a check to help make sure that her body stays healthy and happy.

• Plan a reward for your child afterward, such as a trip to the ice cream shop, the play park or a movie. This will encourage her to be cooperative and feel proud that she helped the doctor and contributed to her good health.

If your child’s pediatrician recommends an X-Ray or MRI, let them know you’d like to be referred to Precision Imaging Centers. We offer early morning, late evening and weekend hours for those with busy schedules. Our state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment rivals that of leading hospitals nationwide and we’re able to offer services for as much as 90% less that hospital pricing for comparable exams. Make an appointment online or call 904-996-8100 to talk with a diagnostic imaging specialist today.

For 26 years, October has been celebrated as Breast Cancer Awareness month, and Precision Imaging Centers want to know: Have you or the women you love had your digital mammogram yet? The American Cancer Society and American College of Radiology recommends screening breast exams using MRI for all women in a high-risk group, such as those with family histories of breast cancer. And to help make sure that women don’t forego mammograms for fear of financial troubles, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently issued new interim regulations that require private health insurers to cover preventative and early detection services with no cost sharing or copays in health insurance policies issued after September 23, 2010. The new regulations include annual mammography services for women age 40 and older.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Have you or the women you love scheduled a digital mammogram?

Jacksonville-based PIC offers the most comprehensive imaging for breast studies for early detection of breast tissue. We use cutting-edge imaging technology and we employ top notch, board-certified radiologists and highly qualified sub specialists. Our digital mammography services include both screening mammograms and diagnostic mammograms. Screening mammograms do not require a physician’s referral and are recommended for women 40 years of age or older and for younger women with a history of fibrocystic breasts, breast tenderness, a previous benign biopsy, nipple discharge or a family history of breast cancer. For diagnostic mammograms, we do require that you consult with your healthcare provider first. These are for women who have abnormal mammogram or probably benign radiographic findings, for women with a personal history of breast disease and for specific clinical concerns such as lumps or lesions.

We know that mammograms are not exactly a walk in the park. So, we make getting your digital mammogram as comfortable an experience a possible. Our ladies’ lounge areas have changing rooms with plush bath robes and lockers to secure your belongings and we use mammogram soft pads to create a warmer, softer surface between your breast and the imaging equipment. We know that the wait for information can be stressful too, so we get your mammogram and other imaging results to you and your doctor usually within four hours. To accommodate your busy schedule, Precision Imaging Centers is open from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturdays, 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. When possible, we are happy to accommodate same-day and next day appointments.

More than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Nearly 40,000 of them will die. However, 98 percent of breast cancer patients survive at least five years when cancer is discovered early, compared to just 23 percent diagnosed after cancer spreads to other parts of the body. Don’t skip a service that could save your life. To schedule your screening mammogram, call Precision Imaging Centers at 904-996-8100 or use our convenient online appointment request feature.

Cheerleading is the #1 cause of high school injuries today.

Back to school can be fun for students – and a bit dangerous for student athletes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 300,000 student athletes suffer concussions from school sports activities each year. Most require only observational testing, but others can require an MRI or CT. Jacksonville students luckily have Precision Imaging Centers close by.

A concussion happens when the brain hits the skull as the result of a hard hit on the football field or a fall in a failed cheerleading stunt. Two types of concussions exist: simple concussions and complex concussions. Both involve similar symptoms and signs including nausea, headache, short-term memory loss, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, slurred speech, impaired balance and aggressive or over-emotional personality changes, among others. The difference is that an athlete with a simple concussion will recover within seven to ten days and primarily will require rest. Complex concussions, however, can take several weeks or months to heal. Victims can have emotional outbursts or recurrences of symptoms associated with exercise.

Unfortunately, students, coaches and parents often fail to recognize symptoms of a concussion, particularly a complex concussion in a youth athlete who walks off the field and initially seems okay. That’s why it’s important for parents, coaches and fellow athletes to keep a close eye on a student who takes a hard lick. It’s important to know that female victims often have a tougher time recovering from concussions than do male victims and that cheerleading – not football or wresting as many might think -is the top cause of high school sports injuries today.

If you believe your child may have suffered a complex concussion, insist that your doctor order an MRI or CT at Jacksonville’s Precision Imaging Centers. We have top-notch physicians and diagnostic specialists and are conveniently located near the St. Johns Town Center. Our evening and weekend hours accommodate the busiest school and work schedules and our prices for scans and imaging exams including MRIs and CTs for Jacksonville area patients often are 80%-90% lower than hospital charges for similar exams. To find out more about scheduling your child for an MRI or CT, call Jacksonville’s top imaging professionals at 904-996-8100 or contact us via our convenient online email form today.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued new interim regulations that will require private health insurers to cover preventative and early detection services, including annual mammography services for women age 40 and older, with no cost sharing or copays in health insurance policies issued after September 23, 2010.

The move is part of the DHHS’ implementation of the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and is welcome news to critics of controversial recommendations handed down last fall. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, a government advisory panel, concluded that annual screening mammograms for women ages 40-49 who do not have an elevated risk of breast cancer are unnecessary. Their reasoning was that scientists are concerned about overdiagnosis, false positives and unnecessary biopsies and radiation exposure. Instead, the panel recommends low risk women get mammograms every two years beginning at age 50. But many women’s health care professionals and advocates disagree.

“Today’s announcement is a critical step in ensuring the promise of health reform is delivered to all women,” said Nancy G. Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. “This new rule means money will no longer be an obstacle for women who want or need a mammogram. Ultimately, this will save lives.”

More than 200,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and nearly 40,000 of them will die. However, 98 percent of breast cancer patients survive at least five years when cancer is discovered early, compared to just 23 percent diagnosed after cancer spreads to other parts of the body.

Precision Imaging Centers offers top-quality digital mammography services (both screening mammography and diagnostic mammography) in Jacksonville. We do not require a physician’s referral for asymptomatic women age 40 and older, and we can arrange to have film from your prior breast exams sent securely to our office for comparison. We offer evening and weekend appointments – 7 a.m.-11 p.m. week days, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays for your convenience. Visit our website to make an appointment or call 904-966-8100 for more information.