Back Pain and Injury after a Car Accident in Mississippi

Back injuries are one of the most common types of injuries that car accident victims suffer. Victims include drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders. All types of Mississippi car accidents, such as rear-end accidents, head-on crashes, and T-bone accidents, can cause back injuries. Even low-speed accidents harm a victim’s back. There’s generally no simple cure. Many back injury victims live with chronic pain every day of their lives.

What are the different types of back injuries?

The most common type of back injury due to car accidents is lumbar spine (lower back) pain. The Cleveland Clinic states that “lower back pain affects the lumbar region of your spine or back.” Strains and sprains, due to car accidents, can damage a person’s tendons, ligaments, or muscles, causing back pain.

Other types of injuries that can cause back pain include:

• Whiplash injuries. These injuries may affect more than a person’s neck. The pain from a whiplash injury (often due to rear-end car accidents) can radiate down to an accident victim’s back.
• Strains and sprains. Car accidents can cause these injuries when they stretch back muscles and tear a person’s ligaments.
• Spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries. High-speed accidents can cause the vertebrae to break or crack. These injuries may require surgery and long recovery periods. The lumbar spine has five vertebrae (L1 to L5).
• Herniated or bulging discs. This injury occurs when a person’s discs (that act as cushions between a person’s vertebrae) rupture or move, which can damage a person’s nerves.

What are the symptoms of lower back pain?

The symptoms of lower back pain include:

• Pain that feels sharp or dull. Victims may experience both types of pain at different times.
• Victims may have difficulty moving, straightening their back, and have a decreased range of motion. Victims may feel the need to stretch before they walk.
• Posture difficulties. These include difficulty standing up straight. “Your lower back may look flat instead of curved.”
• Muscle spasms. Muscle spasms happen when muscles involuntarily and forcibly contract, which can cause extreme pain.

Back pain can be persistent or it can come and go. Back pain that radiates down your leg or your buttocks is called sciatica.

How do doctors diagnose back pain?

Your ER doctor, family doctor, or orthopedic doctor will use the following diagnostic tests to evaluate your back pain:

• X-rays of your spine
• CT scans
• MRIs
• Electromyography (EMG)
• Blood tests and urine tests

It can take time to obtain the right diagnosis.

What are the treatments for back pain?

The treatments vary depending on the cause of your back pain and the severity of your injury. Car accident victims should seek immediate medical help to ensure they begin the correct treatments as soon as possible, and so that insurance companies won’t argue that your delay in getting treatment means you weren’t hurt too much.

Treatments, according to the Cleveland Clinic, may include:

• Staying off your back for a period of time or limiting the movements of your back may help.
• Doctors may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), prescription medications, and muscle relaxers – subject to concerns that these medications need proper monitoring.
• Rehabilitative therapy. This includes physical therapy. You’ll work with a physical therapist who helps improve your flexibility, your posture, your body mechanics, and your strength – usually through exercise and hands-on treatments. Other types of rehabilitative therapy include massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, osteopathic care, and occupational therapy.
• Lumbar epidural steroid injections. These injections of medicine can help control lower back pain. The injection should help reduce inflammation around the nerve roots, but it generally helps for just a month or two.
• Some car accident victims in Mississippi may require surgery to help address the underlying causes of a victim’s back pain.

Other treatments, according to the Mayo Clinic, include:

• Radiofrequency ablation.“A fine needle is inserted through the skin near the area causing the pain. Radio waves are passed through the needle to damage the nearby nerves. Damaging the nerves interferes with pain signals to the brain.”
• Nerve stimulator implants. These devices send electrical impulses to a victim’s nerves to block specific pain signals.

While many patients return to good health with proper treatment, many back injury victims live with chronic pain. Back pain can be especially difficult to treat for victims who have arthritis, osteoporosis, or other risk factors such as old age.

How much is my back injury claim worth in Mississippi?

Our Mississippi car accident lawyers demand compensation for all your damages to date and the damages you are reasonably likely to suffer for the rest of your life. These damages include:

• All your medical bills of every nature
• Your lost income and benefits
• Your daily physical pain and emotional suffering
• The property damage to your car
• Other financial and personal damages

Back pain injuries can be hard to treat. Many patients live with chronic pain. Get the help you need from experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers who will focus on all your medical needs and all your daily struggles. Call our seasoned car accident lawyers now. We have more than 40 years of experience fighting for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicycle riders, and families.

Call Merkel & Cocke or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We have offices in Jackson, Clarksdale, Greenville, and Oxford. We also serve Tupelo and the Gulf Coast regions.