Scan day: mobility and tremors
What If You Cannot Lie Still — or Have Tremors?
Tremors, chronic pain, Parkinson's disease and anxiety can all make lying still hard. The scan team has ways to help — but they need to know before they start, not after.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · MD · DM (Adyar, Chennai) · ECMO · MRCP SCE (UK) · Last reviewed September 2026
- Tell them before the appointment — The team can plan positioning aids and other adjustments if they know in advance.
- Movement blurs, not always ruins — Small tremors produce less blur than a large sudden movement. The technologist knows how to account for this.
- Lying flat is not always the only option — With notice, the team can often find an arrangement that reduces pain and involuntary movement.
- One difficult scan does not end the process — If a section cannot be read, the team will arrange an alternative. The diagnostic pathway continues.
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Movement during a PET scan blurs the images, but the scan team has practical ways to help. Tell the imaging centre before your appointment if you have Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, or severe anxiety. Positioning aids, adjusted technique and, where appropriate, medication can all reduce the effect of movement.
CION's PET-CT scans in Hyderabad start at Rs 10,499 — among the lowest published prices in the city, with no hidden charges. Indicative price, as of September 2026.
How do I manage a PET scan when I cannot lie still?
Tell the imaging centre when you book
Say that you have a condition — Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, severe anxiety, or another cause of involuntary movement — that makes lying still hard. This is not unusual. The centre will note it so the right preparation is in place before you arrive.
Remind the technologist when you arrive
Booking notes do not always reach the person running the scan. When you check in, tell them again. The technologist needs to know before positioning you, not after you are already on the table.
Allow time to get comfortable on the table
The technologist will use foam cushions, knee supports, a padded headrest, or another positioning aid depending on what your body needs. Take as long as you need. Rushing into a position you cannot hold makes things harder, not faster.
Focus on one pass at a time
The scanner moves in short passes rather than one long continuous acquisition. Between passes you can rest briefly. Thinking about the whole scan length is harder than managing one short pass at a time.
Wait for the technologist to review the images before you leave
The team checks the images before you leave the room. If a section needs to be repeated, they will tell you and do it at the same appointment where possible. You will not be sent home without knowing whether the images are usable.
PET-CT Partner Centres
PET-CT Scan Centres in Hyderabad
CION offers PET-CT scans through 4 trusted partner PET-CT centres across Hyderabad, so you can choose the one closest to you. Call 18002028726 and we’ll guide you to the earliest available appointment.
PET-CT Centre — Punjagutta
PET-CT Centre — Himayatnagar
PET-CT Centre — Narayanaguda
These are partner diagnostic centres within the CION network. Toll-free booking: 18002028726.
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Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
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Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Does movement actually ruin the scan?
Movement blurs the images in the area that moved. The degree of blur depends on how much movement happened and whether it was continuous or a single shift.
Small, low-amplitude tremors — the kind common in Parkinson's disease — produce less blur than a large involuntary jerk or a position change mid-scan. An experienced radiologist can often still interpret images with tremor-related blur, especially when they know the patient's condition in advance.
Where movement significantly affects one region, the technologist may rescan that section. What adjustment is possible varies by centre, which is another reason to tell them about your condition when you book rather than on the day.
If the images cannot be interpreted despite these measures, your oncologist will be told. An alternative — a different imaging method, a repeat scan with medication to reduce movement, or a modified protocol — can be arranged. One difficult scan does not close the diagnostic pathway.
What should I tell the team before my scan?
- The condition causing movement — Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, anxiety, claustrophobia — so the team can plan positioning in advance.
- Whether lying flat causes pain, and which position is easier for you.
- What medication you take for tremors or muscle spasm, and when you last took a dose.
- Whether a previous scan was difficult and what, if anything, helped at the time.
- Whether you would like someone with you in the preparation room during the uptake period.
- Whether you would like to discuss anti-anxiety medication in advance — this must be arranged before scan day, not requested on arrival.
CION does PET-CT in Hyderabad from Rs 10,499 — among the lowest published prices in the city — including an oncologist-reviewed report and a free Rs 950 consultation. Indicative price, as of September 2026.
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Will I have to redo the entire scan if I move?
Not necessarily. The technologist checks the images before you leave, and if one section is unclear they can often rescan just that portion at the same appointment. Whether a full repeat is needed depends on which area was affected and how much the movement blurred it. Your oncologist will only request a full repeat if the images genuinely cannot be interpreted — and even then, a modified approach will be discussed first rather than simply booking the same scan again.
Can I take a sedative or anti-anxiety medicine before the scan?
This is possible for some patients, but it must be arranged in advance through your oncologist or the imaging centre — not requested on the day of the scan. The right option depends on your medical history and what other medication you take. If anxiety or panic is the main reason you find it hard to lie still, tell your oncologist well before the scan date so there is time to organise appropriate support without delaying the appointment.
Can someone come into the scan room with me?
A family member or carer can usually stay with you in the preparation area during the uptake period — the time after the injection when you are asked to rest quietly. During the scan itself, policies vary by centre: some allow a companion nearby, others do not because of radiation considerations. Ask the imaging centre directly when you book. Knowing someone is in the building helps many people manage anxiety during the scan itself.
I have Parkinson's disease. Is a PET scan still possible?
Yes. PET scans are carried out regularly in patients with Parkinson's disease and other movement conditions. The imaging team is familiar with tremor-related movement and can adjust positioning, use support aids, and account for tremor when reading the images. Tell the centre about your condition when you book. If your medication timing affects when your tremors are best controlled, ask your neurologist or oncologist whether the scan should be scheduled around your dose.
What if the pain is too severe for me to lie still at all?
Tell your oncologist before scan day, not when you arrive. If uncontrolled pain is likely to make the scan very difficult, your team can look at pain management options ahead of the appointment, adjust the scan protocol, or discuss whether a different imaging approach suits your situation better. Arriving in severe pain without a plan in place limits what the imaging centre can do on the day, because most adjustments need to be organised in advance.