When any type of accident or personal injury occurs, your first step should be to seek appropriate medical treatment. If you don’t currently have health insurance, however, you may be hesitant to continue with your treatment efforts beyond initial emergency care because of cost concerns. One way to get the care you need now before you receive any compensation related to your injuries is to seek treatment from doctors that do liens.
Getting an Accurate Diagnosis
Being able to be treated by doctors that do liens increase your odds of getting an accurate diagnosis after you’ve been injured. This is because it’s not unusual for initial symptoms to be vague or associated with different sources of pain. For example, thigh or leg pain could be related to compression of the sciatic nerve, which begins in your lower spine and extends downward.
Having a medical lien arrangement allows you to have specialized testing that’s deemed necessary for your situation. Common accident-related testing includes:
- X-rays and/or CT and MRI scans
- Muscle strength tests
- Nerve conduction studies and similar specialized tests
- Diagnostic endoscopies to evaluate areas around joints
Receiving Immediate Treatment
The main benefit of working with doctors that do liens is being able to receive the treatment you need now instead of later. This is importance because some initial symptoms you experience after an accident may get worse as inflammation spreads or damaged soft tissues weaken.
For instance, if you have a neck sprain, you may soon develop discomfort that extends to your shoulders and arms as inflamed tissues irritate nerves. If you delay treatment for injuries of this nature, you may end up with chronic pain and other issues that make it difficult to get back to your normal routine.
Reducing Your Reliance on Pain Medications
If you are putting off treatment because of financial concerns, you may find yourself relying primarily on pain medications to manage your discomfort. The potential problem with this approach to self-care is the risk of developing an addiction with the long-term use of powerful pain meds, even over-the-counter ones.
However, doctors that do liens can recommend more appropriate treatment options that go beyond pain drugs. A treatment or pain management plan that’s not entirely based on medication may include:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Postural and range of motion exercises
- Massage therapy and similar passive PT techniques
- Therapeutic injections
A medical lien arrangement may also allow you to have procedures that could prevent long-term issues at a time when you are more likely to respond well to surgery. While surgery is often a last option, it’s sometimes the most appropriate approach way to treat certain types of accident-related injuries. This is sometimes true with certain spine-related problems, especially ones involving nerve compression.
Lastly, know that doctors that do liens are just as qualified and patient-focused as any other doctors. Their ultimate goal is to provide the treatment you need to recover as soon and as well as possible from your injuries. An attorney can help you set up a medical lien arrangement once you have a better idea of what type of care is right for you.