A method for detecting Chiari malformations. The method generally comprises positioning a patient in an upright orientation in a patient-receiving space of a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and acquiring images of the patients cerebellum and brainstem in the upright orientation. The method further comprises positioning the patient in a recumbent orientation in the patient-receiving space of the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and acquiring images of the patients cerebellum and brainstem in the recumbent orientation.