Baltimore Lawyer for Lower Back Pain After a Car Accident

Why do car accidents cause lower back pain?

The force of a car accident often causes significant stress on a passenger’s spine. We depend on our spine for mobility. Walking, running, sleeping, and even sitting require a strong spine. When the vertebrae of the spine shift or rapidly move back and forth, the ligaments can stretch, the discs can become herniated, and fractures can occur. Back pain from car accidents is generally divided into the following timelines:

• Acute back pain. The immediate pain from the accident can last for a few days or weeks.
• Subacute back pain. This type of back pain generally covers pain that lasts for 4 to 12 weeks.
• Chronic back pain. This type of back pain lasts beyond 12 weeks. Chronic pain can indicate a serious underlying condition.

Injuries that cause lower back pain after a car accident

Our Baltimore auto accident lawyers handle all types of lower back pain, including the following spine and nerve-related injuries and conditions:

Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury that can also cause lower back pain. Treatments may include ice (during the first day), a cervical collar, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, osteopathic manipulation, and other treatments.

Compression and spinal fractures

A compression fracture occurs when a bone in your spine (there are 33 bones) breaks. Treatments include rest, medications, minimally invasive surgery, and braces.

Car accidents are a major cause of spinal fractures. Spinal fractures include compression fractures, burst fractures, and chance (flexion/distraction) fractures.

Provided the spinal cord isn’t damaged, many spinal fractures can heal with appropriate treatment, though some may require surgery depending on severity and stability. Treatments include braces, physical therapy, and different types of surgery (vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty).

Herniated discs

A herniated disc most often occurs in the lower back. Symptoms may include muscle weakness, leg or arm pain, and numbness or tingling. Treatments may include nonprescription medications, muscle relaxers, prescription medications (subject to strict oversight), and a corticosteroid injection. Other treatments may include physical therapy and surgery.

Hyperextension and hyperflexion

A hyperextension injury happens when a joint bends too far in the wrong direction. Treatments generally include rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE), and physical therapy. Lumbar spine (lower back) hyperextension is one of many types of joint hyperextension.

Hyperflexion occurs when “an external force pushes a joint to bend beyond its typical, safe capacity.” Treatments include RICE, medications, and other therapies, depending on various factors.

Spondylolysis

Spondylolysis is “a stress fracture through the pars interarticularis of the lumbar vertebrae. The pars interarticularis is a thin bone segment joining two vertebrae.” About one in every 20 people has spondylolysis. Treatments include rest, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), physical therapy, and a brace. Some car accident victims with spondylolysis may require surgery.

Lumbar radiculopathy

Lumbar radiculopathy (radiculopathy of the lower back) is also known as sciatica. Your spine is composed of vertebrae (bones) and the spinal cord that “runs through a canal in the center of these bones. Nerve roots split from the cord and travel between the vertebrae into various areas of your body. When these nerve roots become pinched or damaged, the resulting symptoms are called radiculopathy.”

Some of the treatments for lumbar radiculopathy include medications (nonprescription and prescription), weight loss, physical therapy, steroid injections, and surgery.

Nerve damage

The peripheral nervous system is a “network of 43 pairs of motor and sensory nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) to the entire human body.” The peripheral nerves control sensation, motor coordination, and movement.

There are many different types of nerve injuries. The treatments may include acupuncture, massage therapy, orthotics, medications, physical therapy, and weight loss. Some people may require surgery. We can review with your doctors which treatments are best for your nerve injuries.

Facet joint injuries

The facet joints of the spine are located at the back part of the spine. Every vertebra (small spine bones) has two sets of facet joints. The facets prevent excessive motion. Treatments include injections to diagnose and relieve the pain. The injections can be “given as nerve blocks or intra-articular (directly into the joint).”

Spinal stenosis

The bones of the spine create a channel for the spinal cord and nerve roots. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of this channel. Spinal stenosis can put pressure on the spinal cord (resulting in myelopathy) or on nerve roots — the branches of the spinal cord that extend into the body (resulting in radiculopathy).

Exercise, hot and cold treatments, medications, and injections may help. Some car accident victims may require a laminectomy (removal of a small section of bone) or a spinal fusion.

Slipped vertebrae

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Spondylolisthesis happens when one of the bones in your spine (your vertebrae) slips out of alignment and presses down on the vertebra below it. Many people can manage symptoms like pain and stiffness without surgery. But your provider will likely suggest surgical repair if the slip is a high-grade or nonsurgical treatments don’t help.”

The treatments, depending on various factors, include rest, medications, corticosteroids, physical therapy, and wearing a brace. Some car accident victims with a slipped vertebra may require surgery.