 [ Symptoms ] what is an mri for migraines [ Disease ] magnetic resonance imaging mri is a diagnostic test that produces very clear images of the human body without the use of x rays an mri may be recommended if you are getting daily or almost daily headaches an mri may also be recommended if a ct scan does not show definitive results in addition an mri scan is used to evaluate certain parts of the brain that are not as easily viewed with ct scans such as the spine at the level of the neck and the back portion of the brain