For some reason, it doesn’t matter how old a new client is, they always seem to be afraid of the diagnostic tests that we will need to run. Our injury center in Atlanta is able to conduct most types of diagnostic tests. Depending on the type of injury you have suffered, you may need to undergo one or all of these tests. Before anybody’s going to propose treatment, it is critical that the team understands the nature and severity of your injuries.
Here, we will discuss the types of diagnostic testing that we do in our injury center in Atlanta. If you still have questions about your own accident injuries, feel free to contact us directly. We can set up a date and time for you to come to the center and have a full assessment done.
After this assessment is completed, one of our practitioners will sit down and explain to you the type of injuries you have suffered. They will also outline the type of care plan that will be created for you by the entire medical team.
Your Doctor Will Need to Take Some X-Rays to Determine if You Have Any Broken Bones or Fractures
X-rays are one of the more common diagnostic tests that we use for our patients. An X-ray, as most people know, is a machine that takes a picture of your skeleton. The images received through X-ray testing will show your practitioner if you have suffered any broken bones or fractures. It can also show your doctor if there are any objects lodged in your throat or in any other part of your body.
Once the X-ray comes back, your doctor will be able to design a treatment plan that addresses any of the injuries discovered during the exam. The good news is that X-rays are non-invasive, and it does not take very long for them to be completed.
Unlike other diagnostic tests, such as a CT scan or an MRI, there is nothing uncomfortable about having X-ray images taken. The x-ray technician will ask you to stand in different positions so they can get x-rays of your body from different angles. This allows them to see if you have injuries that may be hidden or obscured from a frontal, direct view.
You May Need to Get an MRI as Well
Another common diagnostic test that we use at our injury center in Atlanta is an MRI. Of all the diagnostic tests we run, this is the one that seems to frighten our patients the most. An MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, uses magnetic fields and a set of radio waves to create images that provide very detailed information on various body parts. This test can take anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes.
You’ll be asked to lie down flat on your back and then you will be rolled into the body of a large machine. You must stay completely still and not speak during the test. An MRI can help diagnose anything from a stroke, or traumatic brain injury, to internal injuries and broken bones.
These high-resolution images can help your practitioner determine if you have suffered any of the injuries listed here. It is important that you stay still during the test or you may have to start all over. The last thing anybody at our injury center in Atlanta wants is for you to have to stay in that machine any longer than absolutely necessary.
Most of Our Clients Need a CT Scan to Determine if You Have Any Internal Injuries
If the practitioner suspects that you have suffered any type of brain injury, they will ask you to undergo a CT scan. Many people refer to this test as a “cat scan.” It is simply a machine similar to an MRI in that you are rolled into a tube-like machine where they will take medical images of pivotal parts of your body. A CT scan can help the doctors diagnose any muscle or bone injury you’ve suffered.
As with X-rays, your practitioner will take pictures from different angles in order to get a wide array of images. This test can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. As with an MRI, if you do not still and silent during your scan, they will have to do the test all over again.
The images that your practitioner will receive from the CT scan are much more detailed than what they would get in an X-ray. This test is rather expensive from an insurance standpoint, so the doctors will only run this test if they believe you have suffered an injury that warrants this type of diagnostic testing.
Contact Our Injury Center in Atlanta as Soon as Possible After Your Accident
When we meet with a client for the first time at our injury center in Atlanta, we like to run all of the necessary diagnostic tests before we perform any type of treatment. While we do refer to any medical records from the hospital or emergency room, we still need to reassure ourselves about what injuries we are about to treat.
As explained here, we have the capability of running any number of diagnostic tests. Sometimes, it is obvious which tests we need to run. Other times, we decide to run the gamut of diagnostic tests to ensure that we can pinpoint any injuries suffered in your accident.
We suggest you contact our injury center in Atlanta as soon as possible after your motor vehicle accident. In fact, you’re welcome to contact our office regardless of the way you were injured. You may have been hurt in a slip-and-fall accident. Or you may have been injured while riding your bike or walking in the park. It is not so important how you suffered your injuries, as long as we are able to determine what injuries you have suffered.
Once we have determined the nature and extent of your injuries through our diagnostic tests, we will then craft a unique care plan for you. Our ultimate goal is that our patients make a full recovery. You can contact our office at any time and schedule your initial assessment.
