MRI Good For Muscle Injuries?

Will an MRI show injuries to a muscle, such as strains/partial tears? How about scar tissue?

How about x-rays? I imagine you would notice some of the obvious stuff, such as a complete muscle tear, but would you still see where there might be an excess of scar tissue from past injuries?

Ive had several injuries over the past decade - I’ve partially torn my left calf, Ive strained one pec twice, the other once, Ive strained both rotator cuffs, various minor back problems, one of my hamstrings bothers me when I do leg curls. I actually can’t remember the last time I really felt 100%!

Anyway, I can get an MRI for $100, according to my insurance provider. If it will help me locate areas that need to have scar tissue treated (by an A.R.T. practioner), or if I can see that something is so serious that I should give it a long term rest to recover, it’s definitely worth it to me. I’m just not sure if an MRI/x-ray would tell me that kind of stuff.

Id appreciate any feedback!

x rays are for bones …MRI will tell about tendons and other stuff good luck

Take it from a radiologist. MRI is the way to go. It is less sensitive to detecting chronic injuries like scar tissue within the muscle. It does well for acute muscle injuries and tendon/ligament injuries. It also detects bone bruises well where Xrays won’t.

Jayhawk