The staggering number of auto accidents that happen each year lead to extensive injuries. According to the National Safety Council, more than 4.5 million automobile injuries were on U.S. roadways in 2019. These resulted in costs totaling more than $463.0 billion. While there are undoubtedly broken bones among those injuries, many others involve soft tissue and organs. Visiting a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) center may help detect this type of injury.
The Importance of Getting an MRI After a Car Accident
With the high cost of health care and recovery, you want to ensure that any injuries resulting from an accident are diagnosed right away. However, the speed with which you are diagnosed and begin treatment after an auto accident can impact how well you recover.
If too much time elapses between an accident and diagnosis, it can be difficult to prove an association between the two events. As a result, your insurance may deny claims for treatment. Your referring physician may recommend getting an MRI done shortly after an auto accident to eliminate any ambiguity and create a direct link between the accident and your injury.
Types of Injuries Common To Auto Accidents
Injuries from an auto accident can range from minor to severe. Some, such as broken bones or lacerations, present with symptoms immediately. Some internal injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, may cause a loss of consciousness at the scene. Unfortunately, some injuries, such as whiplash or a herniated disc, may not produce symptoms immediately. However, these problems can become aggravated over time and interfere with your ability to perform normal daily activities.
MRIs are also excellent tools for diagnosing organ damage that might otherwise go undetected. In addition, they can pinpoint areas that have experienced trauma so that appropriate care is provided.
How MRIs Work
An MRI uses powerful magnets to produce detailed, three-dimensional images of the body. The technology relies on protons in water and their movement patterns when under magnetic pressure. These protons are then stimulated with radiofrequency pulses to disrupt their alignment. This disruption and the subsequent realignment allow doctors to determine tissue structure.
Despite what seems to be an incredibly complex process, an MRI is a simple procedure. First, the patient lays on a table, which then moves into an array of magnets. A patient needs to remain still while undergoing testing since movement can interfere with the clarity or detail of the final image.
This array is a tube or tunnel in a large, solid machine in traditional MRI scanners. However, this arrangement can be daunting for patients with anxiety or claustrophobia or those whose size makes it uncomfortable. Brooklyn Open MRI addresses these concerns. They generally have magnets on the top and bottom of the machine, with the sides open to create a more spacious experience. Open MRI Brooklyn scanners also allow for greater flexibility in positioning limbs and joints to achieve the desired image.
During the test, you will hear a series of loud noises, often described as banging, clicking, or beeping, during the test. The noise can be quite loud in certain machines, so we provide you with hearing protection to dampen the effect.
Benefits of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
When you need a definitive diagnosis, it is helpful to use the most appropriate technology available. When it comes to interventional radiology, that often means magnetic resonance imaging. These are just a few benefits of choosing to have an MRI after a car accident.
It Is Non-Invasive
Patients looking for a completely non-invasive diagnostic procedure might want to choose diagnostic imaging services like MRI. The whole test is non-invasive unless the requesting healthcare provider has ordered a contrast agent to be used. In most cases, you will be done in under an hour.
It Produces Clear and Detailed Patient Images
MRI-generated images are high resolution and provide clear, intricate details that may be unattainable with other diagnostic methods. Radiologists and other doctors can use these details to identify minor injuries that may not be visible on lower-quality images.
MRI Is Useful to See Soft Tissue Damage
MRIs are often used to produce images of non-bony parts of the body. As a result, they are very well suited to diagnosing problems with or injuries to soft tissues. This is because, unlike some other imaging methods, MRIs can see and differentiate between various tissue types. An extremity MRI is specifically configured to produce detailed pictures of the arms, legs, hands, and feet.
It Uses No Radiation
While other imaging technologies can also detect abnormalities in soft tissue, these often rely on ionizing radiation. On the other hand, MRI images are produced without this radiation.
Alternative Diagnostic Tools
There are alternative radiology services for after an auto accident. However, these may have risks or disadvantages that make MRI a preferable choice. Two common alternatives are:
- X-ray: A well-established form of imaging that is excellent at detecting abnormalities in bones. X-rays send beans of electromagnetic radiation through the body. As a result, dense objects, such as bones, appear as shadows on media under the studied area.
- CT Scan: Computed tomography (CT) uses x-rays to create detailed images of specific slices of the body. CT scans offer more insight than traditional x-rays but may not be as valuable as MRI images in identifying unknown injuries.
- Nerve conduction tests: Frequently referred to as NCV and EMG tests, these are useful for identifying nerve damage that interferes with signal conduction from the brain.
Why You Should Visit an MRI Imaging Center
As MRIs have become increasingly common, the technology has also become more widely available. However, that does not imply that you should consent to have a test performed just anywhere. There are advantages to visiting a dedicated MRI imaging center for your tests. The technicians and medical staff there are specifically trained to operate MRI equipment.
Another advantage of using an MRI center is that they are well-equipped to accommodate patients with special needs or concerns. For example, they may be more likely to have newer, more accessible technology, such as open MRI scanners.
Schedule Your MRI Today in New York City
If you have been in an auto accident, it is imperative that you seek a proper diagnosis and care for any injuries. An MRI may detect hidden injuries that have yet to present with symptoms. This is critical to ensure that treatment is started immediately and that their cause is appropriately attributed to the accident. At Brooklyn Open MRI, our healthcare professionals work with patients and their referring physicians to find an imaging solution that fits their needs. Contact us today to learn more and schedule an MRI after your car accident. We, at Brooklyn Open MRI, accept most insurance plans, including worker’s compensation and no-fault insurance.
Sources:
https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/introduction/
https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/magnetic-resonance-imaging-mri
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40737-w
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-highway-safety
https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/medical-imaging/mri-magnetic-resonance-imaging
