Why Should I get an MRI After a Back Injury?

Why Should I Get An MRI After A Back Injury?

Being involved in a car accident is a serious matter. Although it might not be evident at the outset, or even a few hours or days after the crash, being involved in an accident may have caused severe injury to your body.

These serious physical injuries can include brain trauma, neck, back, or other limb injuries. Sometimes, pain or discomfort from these injuries are subtle and easily dismissed, given that it is common to experience these types of pain associated with a car accident. However, these injuries should be taken seriously even though they are deemed common car accident effects. Given the risk for internal injuries and possible life-long discomfort and pain caused by a back injury, it is vital to get a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) after an accident to ensure that it is properly documented and is a valid part of your claim.

What Is An MRI?

An MRI or a Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a non-invasive diagnostic tool that creates images of internal tissues and organs through radio waves and magnetic fields. An MRI can reveal issues that cannot be seen by other types of imaging methods such as X-Rays, CT scans, and ultrasounds. Moreover, an MRI can determine the extent of injuries to the spinal cord, brain, and head, internal organs, back, neck, and muscles or tissues.

Is An MRI Safe And Painless?

Yes, an MRI is a safe procedure, and it is generally painless.

Unlike other imaging scans, an MRI does not use ionizing radiation that damages cells, so it is generally safe and painless. This medical imaging procedure typically takes 15 to 90 minutes, and it involves the patient being inserted into an MRI scanner while lying on a motorized bed.

However, given that an MRI scanner is a cylindrical chamber, and the procedure requires that the patient is still while the images are being taken, some people might find the process uncomfortable or claustrophobic. Nonetheless, the MRI procedure can provide valuable information.

Overall, an MRI is a safe medical procedure for the general public. However, it is essential to let the medical professional know of your complete medical history and symptoms to ensure that you are fit to go through an MRI.

What Can An MRI Reveal?

Since an MRI looks into the inner side of a person’s body, it can provide insight regarding any present internal injuries. An MRI can provide valuable information regarding internal injuries that the patient might not even be felt or detected by other tests.

Generally, a lumbar MRI can detect issues on a person’s back, including:

• Spinal alignment issues
• Abnormalities of the spinal cord
• Damages or inflammation in a person’s spinal disc, including, but not limited to:
• Herniated Disc. This injury occurs when the soft center of a person’s spinal disc pushes through a crack in the outer casing. This occurrence irritates the nerve, thus causing pain, numbness, and weak sensation to a person’s back.
• Bulging Disc. This injury is not as severe as a herniated disc since it only affects a small portion of the disc. Nonetheless, this injury also causes pain, numbness, and weak sensation to a person’s back.
• Extruding Disc. This injury occurs when the outer wall of the intervertebral disc tears, thus causing the inner disc material to seep into the spinal canal. This type of injury is a severe form of disc hernia and is extremely painful.

Why Should I Get An MRI After Getting Involved In A Car Accident?

There are numerous important and valid reasons for getting medical attention, especially an MRI after a car accident. Some of the reasons include, but are not limited to:

• A medical professional can detect internal back injuries that may explain the pain or discomfort you have been experiencing. Moreover, an MRI can uncover any damages that you may not be aware of.
• Getting a proper diagnosis might assist in your personal injury case.

Will Getting An MRI Make My Personal Injury Claim Stronger?

It is possible. However, it is important to remember that an MRI result by itself cannot determine whether your case is viable or not. Nonetheless, having an MRI can increase the value of your claim if you are validly injured or if your existing back problems were exacerbated by the accident.

An MRI can assist your case since having an MRI test can back up your injury claims and prevent insurance companies from claiming unfair arguments.

Basically, an MRI can prove that your back injuries were caused by the accident and not existing before the incident. Moreover, it can also show if an existing injury was made worse by the accident. After all, an MRI image can clearly show the extensive damage to the spine, spinal discs, ligaments, tendons, and muscles in the neck and back.

Moreover, a doctor can then recommend the proper treatment and give you a prognosis of recovery based on the results of the MRI. This information can also aid your claim when calculating damages against the insurance companies or the other party.

One of the biggest reasons car accident victims hesitate to obtain an MRI after their accident is cost. This concern is understandable as an MRI typically costs between $1,250 to $5,000 in Baton Rouge, LA. This cost is pretty steep, especially for those that either do not have medical insurance or have limited medical insurance. However, this should not refrain a victim from seeking medical attention, including an MRI, given the serious repercussions of untreated injuries.

If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident, you need a reputable lawyer at your disposal. Our highly experienced car accident lawyers are prepared to guide and help you in your ordeal. Please give us a call at (225) 963-9638, or you can click here to contact us for a free consultation. Our dependable car accident lawyers can help you assess your case, represent your claim, and answer any concerns you may have regarding your situation.