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Understanding MRI Results for Whiplash Injuries in College Park

One of the most common injuries after a car accident is the whiplash. It happens as your head jerks forward and backward forcefully. Some patients believe it’s just a minor issue that will go away by itself. However, after they see the MRI results for whiplash at our College Park injury center, they realize that they need medical care.

This is necessary both for your health in order to justify the source of your injuries in your car accident claim. Let us find out what a magnetic resonance imaging test may reveal about your injuries.

Do Not Ignore the First Symptoms of Whiplash

Whiplash may start as a slight discomfort in the neck, but it can quickly develop worrying symptoms. Moreover, immediately after an accident, your body secretes adrenaline, which numbs the pain.

You should call our injury clinic as soon as the police finish investigating the crash and let us know that you are coming for emergency treatment and diagnostic tests. At this point, many people already start experiencing symptoms such as:

  • Neck stiffness
  • Dizziness
  • Headaches
  • Numbness and tingling in the neck

Do Whiplash Injuries Show Up on an MRI Scan?

The magnetic resonance imaging scan offers doctors the most detailed look inside the human body. The device works be using a magnetic field, which penetrates the body and shows up every detail in the human body:

  • Bones
  • Muscles and ligaments
  • Veins and arteries

MRI results for whiplash are extremely detailed and help doctors determine the best course of treatment for your injuries.

Here is how whiplash injuries show up on an MRI scan:

MRI scans reveal even soft tissue injuries

1. Soft Tissue Damage

An MRI scan will show the internal bruising and tearing of muscles, tendons and ligaments. However, soft tissue damage may also involve various elements of the spine itself, such as the facet joints, discs and the surrounding tissues that ensure the mobility and stability of the neck.

These injuries may range from mild to severe, determining the doctors at our College Park injury center to place you in a neck brace or recommend immediate surgery.

2. Herniated Discs

The vertebrae in the spine are separated by rubbery discs that act as cushions and shock absorbers. During the repetitive jerking movements of your head in the car crash, one or a few of these discs can get herniated.

This means that they are physically damaged and some of the jelly-like substance inside them is leaking out and putting pressure on the nerves in the spinal cord. MRI will indicate the exact position of the bulging disc, so that doctors can start developing a treatment plan.

3. Joint Effusion

This condition represents injuries to the facet joints of the vertebrae. As a result of the sudden mechanical shock, these joints can become inflamed and swollen.

Joint effusion requires immediate medical intervention, because it may compromise the stability of your spine.

4. Spinal Cord or Nerve Compression

Sometimes, a bulging disc is putting significant pressure on a portion of the spinal cord. The pressure may lead to an interruption in the channel of communication between the brain and the part of the body controlled by the respective nerve.

In the most severe cases, this type of whiplash injury requires surgery.

5. Vertebral Misalignments

Last but not least, the violence of the movement may knock the vertebrae in your neck out of their normal alignment. Fortunately, this type of injury responds very well to chiropractic adjustments – a risk-free and non-invasive treatment option.

Let Our College Park Injury Center Doctor Help You Recover from Whiplash!

After a car accident, you need immediate medical care and detailed diagnostic tests to uncover all your hidden injuries. Often, the MRI results for whiplash can indicate serious injuries, which need immediate intervention.

Reach out to us 1-800-HURT911 after your accident and let us help you get better!

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