Identifying Injuries and Disease: 4 Ways MRIs Can Help

Using magnetism, radio waves and a computer, an MRI scan can detect disease or injury in soft tissue and bony structures —comprehensively, accurately, and without harmful radiation. It is recognized as a reliable way to diagnose abnormalities in the brain, spine discs and nerves, as well as joint and muscle problems that may not be detectable using other diagnostic methods.

Here are four ways MRI scans help identify injury or disease:

1. Sports Injury Scans:Both professional athletes and casual fitness enthusiasts can benefit from sports injury scans to quickly and accurately diagnose musculoskeletal injuries for a speedier recovery. An MRI can assess soft tissue damage like muscle strains or tears, bone bruises or fractures, ligament and cartilage tears, and concussions.

2. Susceptibility Weighted Imaging (SWI):Traumatic brain injuries can be identified with this sensitive and specialized MRI scan. SWI provides greater specificity than past brain imaging methods, and can provide diagnostic utility in the context of brain injury insurance claims.

3. Spinal MRI:This specialized scan can detect issues like painful disc bulging and herniation, nerve compression, and spinal cord or disc issues.

4. Whole Body Scan:Screen for kidney tumors, spinal fractures, ovarian cancer, pancreatic disease, liver lesions, gallstones, and brain and abdominal aneurysms with a whole body MRI scan.

The objective information provided by any of these MRIs is beneficial to a patient’s care and treatment, or can be used as objective evidence to support a lawsuit or insurance claim.

MRI testing is painless and noninvasive, and a patient can eat and drink normally before the test. Patients wishing to have an MRI should seek a practitioner’s referral (GP, specialist or chiropractor).


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