An imaging technique used to visualize the soft tissue inside your body. MRI combines a powerful magnet with radio-frequency pulses. These collect signals, which are then processed by a sophisticated computer, form pictures of the inside of your body. The images can then be examined on a computer monitor, transmitted electronically or copied onto CD. MRI gives highly detailed pictures of the soft tissues within the body, for example muscles and ligaments. MRI can be utilized in a wide range of investigations: from slipped discs and brain tumors, to painful or injured joints, to the assessment of blood flow. Magnetic resonance imaging uses non ionizing radiation, unlike x-rays which uses radiation.