Back injury today, should they have xrayed?

[Tan74]

Hi everyone, and thanks in advance to anyone who can help. Today I injured my back. I was moving a motorbike and it started to fall over and with out thinking I tried to pick it up.. I heard a loud pop and then like a crunching noise... then it was just pain. I went to the hospital and the doctor said it's a muscle strain with out doing x rays.. should I care? The way he explained it, it was like my back popped.. like my knuckle would, which sent my back into spasms. I'm having alot of pain, and I'm on a fair bit of medication. Should I have asked for xrays?

[mike1105]

i would have wanted films if it ws me to rule out a fracture somewhere especially since you say you heard crackling noises and a pop. although indeed it is probably muscular.

[pofdog]

Hospitals ALWAYS say that its pulled muscles, especially if you don't have insurance. As for the x-rays, I have had many back injurys and not 1 has shown in the hospital normal x-rays. Those are more for fractures. You need an MRI if the pain continues. Don't let the docs say its apulled muscles if it lasts more than 2-3 weeks or gets worse. I fely all my injurys when I got them, but the pain got WORSE as the days went on. Good luck. It sounds like you might have heniated a disk. Time will tell. Especially if you end up not being able to walk in the next 72 hours because of pain. If you need to, go to the ER and ask them for a shot of demorol or dilaudid if it getas that bad and have your doc. order a MRI.

[Tan74]

Thank you both for your advice. I wound up going back, because I needed more medication, and I got to see my family doctor instead of the one I saw in emergency.  He told me he thinks it's either a herniated disc or that I have a vertebrae that's out of place... either way it's pinching on a nerve and causing me alot of pain.  I'm fairly certain that it's alot of guessing because I haven't yet had any real tests done... they just gave me drugs and sent me on my way.  I live in Canada and have been told that there is a long wait for MRI's...I guess that's why it hasn't been mentioned yet.  I'll just take the drugs and rest like he said... and hope it's not neccessary.

Thank you both for your help.