Do I need an MRI ?

After your accident, in order to create a diagnosis, prognosis and treatment plan, sometimes imaging of the affected area is necessary. MRI is magnetic resonance imaging. MRI's can display different tissues within the body, but it is used primarily for looking at soft tissues. Muscle, tendons, internal organs, nerves are all tissues that can be examined with this diagnostic test. For auto accident cases, sometimes MRI's are needed to determine where, and what is causing a patient's symptoms. MRI's consist of the patient laying in a large tube, or sometimes facilities have what they call an "open" MRI that accommodate different patients. Open MRI's tend to not be as specific as closed MRI's but they have their usefulness. MRI's do not produce radiation, they use large magnets to align molecules in your body that appear dark, or light on the image. Depending on the type of tissue you are looking for, it can determine where and what tissues are affected. People that have metal implants or a pacemaker cannot have an MRI. There are other diagnostics that these people can use to assess their area of interest. If you have been in an accident and you have back pain, neck pain, headaches or any other pain, call Auto Accident Pain Relief Center of Illinois at 800-862-5914.