Back Injuries from Car Accidents in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs Accident Law Firm for Back Injuries

One of the most frequent reasons individuals self-treat and seek medical help is back discomfort. Approximately three out of every four people will be affected at some point in their lives.

It’s caused by a wide range of medical issues, either directly or indirectly, making determining the main cause of back pain very challenging. Sometimes the reason for your back pain is evident, and other times not even a team of physicians can figure it out. Many instances clear up on their own, but others might linger for months or even years.

Yes, there is a lot of ambiguity regarding back pain, but Warrior is here to assist. Here’s everything you need to know about back pain, including its origins, consequences, how it’s diagnosed, treated, and how to live with, alleviate, and avoid it. Continue reading.

Related Blog Articles

• Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments
• Spinal Disc Extrusion and Protrusion after a Colorado Accident
• How to Deal with Lower Back Pain from a Car Accident
• Lower Back Pain Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment
• How Much is My Back Injury Worth?
• Settlements for Neck and Back Injuries
• Upper Back Pain | Diagnosis & Treatment
• What’s Causing my Lower Back Pain?
• What to do About Back Pain from a Car Crash
• Back Pain Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment
• Insurance Claims & Compensation for Back Injuries

What Are the Different Spine Parts?

Understanding the architecture of the Spine might help you better understand your back discomfort.

Dr. Anderson explains, “The cervical spine is a highly dynamic section of the spine that is prone to degenerative alterations.” Pain in the “transitional zone” between the flexible cervical vertebrae and the more inflexible thoracic region of the spine is more likely to occur as you become older.

The thoracic spine is connected to the ribs and is related to the chest. According to Dr. Anderson, compression fractures in this area may occur in the elderly due to bone loss.

The lower back is referred to as the lumbar Spine. According to Dr. Anderson, “this is the most prevalent area for back discomfort.” “Discogenic back pain is more common in younger people, whereas facet joint problems are more common in older patients.”

Discogenic pain is caused by one or more intervertebral discs, while facet joint problems are caused by the top and bottom of each vertebra.

Finally, the sacral area is the Spine’s absolute bottom. It comprises the sacrum, a flat, triangle- shaped bone that links the hips to the coccyx, often known as the tailbone, which is an evolutionary afterthought.

According to Dr. Anderson, deterioration in this region is more common in elderly people. Falling forcefully on your back might potentially fracture your sacrum or tailbone.

The Spine is made up of muscles, bones, and other tissue.

Back discomfort is a hot issue these days. There are 17 vertebral bodies, several joints, the sacrum, tailbone, fibrous and muscular supporting components, intervertebral discs, the spinal cord and nerve roots, and blood arteries between the upper back and tailbone. The Spine is more than its pieces, but here’s what you need to know about them.

We must first understand vertebrae before moving on to muscles. The backbone is made up of a collection of tiny bones to which the muscles adhere. An intervertebral disc separates each of the 33 vertebrae that make up the Spine.

Every vertebra has two parts: an anterior vertebral body covering the spinal cord and nerve roots and a posterior vertebral arch that houses the canal while protecting the spinal cord.

There are three types of back muscles:

The erector spinae, which contains the longissimus, iliocostalis, and spinal muscles, comprises intermediate muscles. The ribs may move as required, thanks to these muscles.

Intrinsic muscles are positioned underneath the erector spinae and support the vertebral column. They are also known as the “deep” muscles of the back and govern the movement and posture of the vertebral column.

Superficial muscles are located under the skin and link to the bones of the shoulder, assisting with neck and shoulder motions and upper limb control.

According to Dr. Anderson, the muscles that support the Spine are organized in layers. Some muscles go from a person’s base of the head to their pelvis. Depending on the portion of the spine (cervical, thoracic, or lumbar), other muscle groups span lesser lengths.

“These muscle groups operate as key stabilizers of the bony and ligamentous tissues,” says Dr. Anderson. These muscular strains affect people of all ages.”

When determining the source of your back discomfort, there are various regions of the Spine to explore. These are some of them:

Tendons and ligaments Ligaments connect bone to bone with no intervening muscle, while tendons are part of the muscular tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. Elastic fibers may be found in both ligaments and tendons.

Intervertebral discs, which operate as mini-shock absorbers between the vertebrae, preventing bone-on-bone contact. Discs may degrade spontaneously over time.

Each vertebra has four facet joints, two on top and two on the bottom.

Facet joints that resemble hinges and link each vertebra to the one above and below it. They provide the ideal balance of agility and stability: Although each vertebra may move separately, the spine can work as a unit.

Who is afflicted with back pain?

Almost everybody, depending on the location of the pain. Back of the neck

Globally, 15 to 19 percent of individuals suffer from chronic upper back discomfort. Those that are afflicted tend to be of a specific age. For example, one research discovered that postmenopausal women are more vulnerable, owing to the risk of osteoporosis and spinal compression fractures.

Your profession may also cause upper back discomfort. Upper back discomfort is more common among those who have to hunch for lengthy periods of time, such as dentists and eye physicians. Poor ergonomics cause upper back discomfort in many office employees.

Mid-back

So, what about discomfort in the mid-back—low in the thoracic Spine and even at the lumbar Spine’s top? Adolescents are particularly susceptible to it. According to a 2016 research, 13 percent to 45 percent of children and adolescents would have mid-back discomfort over four years.”

A Danish study of general spinal pain in 11 and 13-year-olds found that if the youngsters were more physically active than others, they had higher mid-back discomfort. Car accidents often result in mid-back discomfort.

Lower Back Pain

Pushing your body too hard may cause mid-back discomfort, while not pushing it hard enough might cause lower back pain. A sedentary lifestyle exacerbates low back discomfort.

According to one research, the number of people experiencing persistent low back pain increased from 3.9 percent in 1992 to 10.2 percent in 2006. While the reasons for this rise are unknown, rising rates of obesity and depression are two likely causes.

What Are Some of the Different Back Pain Types?

The first thing you should know about back pain is that it may last anywhere from a few days to years, and how your pain is diagnosed and treated depends on how long it lasts.

Acute back pain is characterized as severe pain but only lasts a few days, generally 7 to 10.

Subacute discomfort might linger anywhere between two and six weeks.

Chronic back pain happens daily and lasts for more than six to eight weeks. It might be severe and linger for months or even years, but it can also be moderate, deep, achy, burning, or electric.

There’s also the where, in addition to the when. The cause of your pain might be in your facet joints, discs, soft tissues, or vertebrae if you have mechanical discomfort.

Back pain that spreads into another area of the body, such as the leg, is referred to as radicular pain (because it radiates; get it? ), especially if it occurs below the knee. This condition is known as lumbar radiculopathy (e.g., sciatica). Fortunately, leg discomfort is not always associated with back pain.

Inflammatory pain is a term that you may be familiar with. While it may seem to be a distinct sort of pain from mechanical and radicular pain, it combines the two. “Symptoms of pain, whether mechanical or radicular,” says Dr. Anderson, “share a component of inflammation.”

Simply defined, inflammation occurs when your body detects a problem and responds by “flares up.”

Risk Factors for Back Pain

Back pain may be caused by a variety of medical issues. Dr. Anderson points out that there are overarching variables in addition to these particular disorders. According to Dr. Anderson, the two most important criteria are: Obesity and Smoking

“Excessive weight and its influence on spinal architecture have a big impact,” he explains. Smoking and its negative effects on the vascular system (both macro and micro) are linked to increased back pain intensity and frequency.”

Smoking reduces the flow of nutrients to the back’s structures and makes a recovery from back injuries or surgery more difficult and ineffective.

Other aspects to consider are:

• Age
• Physical fitness level
• Genetics
• Activities or jobs
• A sedentary way of life Causes of Back Pain

There are a variety of disorders that may cause back pain, including neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain, and tailbone pain.

Back pain may be caused by a variety of diseases, ailments, and illnesses. They may be divided into a few groups.

Issues with the Structure

Back pain is caused by a variety of structural disorders. Structural difficulties may be defined as any disorder that affects the spinal column or any component of it. This encompasses a wide range of structures and tissues, including:

• The vertices
• The discs between the vertebrae
• The canal of the Spine

The following are some examples of structural issues:

Spinal Stenosis: when the spinal canal narrows, mainly due to a herniated disc but often due to arthritic bone spurs or injury; the narrowing commonly compresses a nerve root or the spinal cord itself (myelopathy)

Herniated Disc occurs when the discs between the vertebrae slip out of place and push on the nerves. Herniated discs are more prevalent in the lower back and neck, although they may also develop in the Thoracic Spine.

Arthritis: Back pain may be caused by many varieties of arthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis, spondylosis (spinal osteoarthritis), and rheumatoid arthritis, which are all characterized by swelling and soreness.

• Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): a disorder that causes discs to break down as people age.
• Compression and Wedge Fractures: a vertebral body collapses under the weight of the spinal column, almost always due to weak bones from osteoporosis
• Pregnancy: 50 to 80 percent of pregnant women experience back pain
• Scoliosis: abnormal curvature of the spine that is also frequently diagnosed in childhood
• Kyphosis: an abnormal curvature that causes a hunchback or slouching posture
• Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which one vertebra slides forward over the one below it.
• Osteoporosis and osteopenia, its precursor: These age-related disorders don’t cause back discomfort per se, but they do increase your chance of spinal compression fractures.
• Discogenic Low Back Discomfort: pain is caused by one or more intervertebral discs in the low back.
• Pinched Nerves: pain in the lower extremities caused by nerve compression in the lower back
• Lumbar Radiculopathy: pain in the lower extremities caused by nerve compression in the lower back
• Cauda Equina Syndrome: a symptom indicating a long-term nerve problem in the lumbar Spine that may impair bowel and bladder function and potentially result in paralysis. The syndrome of the cauda equina is a medical emergency.

Sprains and Strains are two different types of injuries

Many doctors feel that sprains and strains, particularly acute bouts that recover independently, are the most prevalent cause of back discomfort. Strains affect the muscle or tendon that attaches it to the bone, while sprains affect the ligaments that join the bones together.

Other disorders in this category include

Cervical Sports Injuries, sometimes known as “stingers,” which occur when the head or neck is struck on one side.

Whiplash: a sprain or strain in the neck caused by hyperextension and hyperflexion. Posture and Movement

People in contemporary Western civilization spend a lot of time sitting. Back discomfort is one of the many ailments that may arise from a sedentary and inactive lifestyle. “Sitting is the new smoking,” as the saying goes, because of its potentially disastrous impacts on your general health.

Text neck (or tech neck) is a kind of postural problem that may result in one or more structural issues, muscular strains, or other back-pain-causing conditions.

Lifting inappropriately (using the back instead of the legs)

Excessive or uncomfortable bending and twisting

Sleeping on a mattress or pillow that is excessively soft and causes your Spine to be out of alignment

Long hours of sitting, standing, or driving Back Pain and Pregnancy

Back discomfort affects between 50 percent and 80 percent of pregnant women. A variety of reasons contribute to this increased vulnerability to back pain, including

• weight gain
• a shift in the center of gravity
• hormonal changes
• increased stress.

Back discomfort in pregnancy mainly affects the lower back, including the lumbar spine, sacrum, coccyx, and the hips and pelvis.

Other Factors

Back discomfort may also be caused by the following less prevalent causes:

• Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) is a polio-like condition that affects the spinal cord. Arachnoiditis is an inflammation of one of the central nervous system’s protective linings. Arachnoiditis produces a variety of neurological problems as well as stinging, searing discomfort.
• Spinal Cancer: when primary and/or metastatic malignancies originate in the vertebrae
• Chiari Malformation: a congenital (existing at birth) disorder that causes brain matter to settle into the spinal canal
• Paget’s Disease: a bone disorder centered on improperly functioning bone cells
• Synovial Cysts: benign, fluid-filled sacs of the lumbar spine facet joints
• Syringomyelia: a fluid-filled cyst forms inside the spinal cord
• Tarlov Cysts: a fluid-filled sac of the Spine that may affect nerve roots
• Adjacent Segment Disease: an illness that may occur after a spinal fusion
• Failed Back Operation Syndrome: when a back surgery produces additional or new pain afterward
• Spinal Infections, such as vertebral osteomyelitis (a bone infection), discitis (a disc infection), and spinal epidural abscess (an infection in the spinal canal)
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: an inherited disorder that affects connective tissue, including tendons and ligaments in the back
• Baastrup’s Sign (Kissing Spine): when the spinous processes of two adjacent vertebrae touch one another
• Slipping Rib Syndrome: when the ribs move abnormally
• Spina Bifida: a neural tube defect caused by incomplete brain development

Symptoms of Back Pain

Back pain may occur anywhere in the back, including the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical areas, as  well as along the Spine or to the sides.

Other Signs and Symptoms

Back discomfort may not always appear on its own. Other symptoms may emerge with it, some  of which may be problematic. While leg pain is a fairly frequent symptom of back pain, others might be alarming, such as:

• Bowel or bladder concerns
• A recent injury
• Fever
• Weight loss that is sudden and unexplained
• Leg tingling, numbness,or weakness

When Should You Visit Your Doctor?

The signs and symptoms indicated above might point to a medical emergency. At the absolute least, contact your doctor immediately, but be prepared to go to the emergency room.

If your back discomfort lasts longer than a few weeks or doesn’t go away after treatment, you should see your doctor figure out what’s causing it.

Back Pain Diagnosis

Whether your back pain falls into the “get immediate medical attention” category above or your  gut response tells you to “visit your doctor,” here’s what to anticipate.

A review of your medical history, including any members of your immediate family who suffer  from spinal issues. Some back issues (such as scoliosis and osteoporosis) have a hereditary  component.

Talk about when your back pain started, what you were doing when it occurred, the present level and characteristics of your pain (e.g., stabbing, burning), how your pain has changed since  it started, and any additional concerns you have. Before examining you, your doctor wants to  understand as much as possible about your pain and symptoms—while the exam may be painful,  your doctor doesn’t want to make the procedure uncomfortable!

Your vital signs are assessed during a physical examination (e.g., heart rate). It’s not uncommon for your blood pressure to rise while you’re in discomfort. Your Spine is examined by the doctor, who feels for irregularities and painful spots.

The purpose of a neurological examination is to evaluate sensation and function. The doctor may do the pinprick test to see whether certain body portions have the same sensation on both sides (e.g., legs). Walking, bending forward and backward (if possible), and other activities are used to measure function, flexibility, and range of motion. The doctor will also test your reflexes.

Your doctor has most likely come to one or two findings of what is causing your back pain and  other symptoms after a thorough examination. The doctor may order an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI to learn more about your back condition and to assist in confirming the diagnosis.

In certain cases, lab testing is also required. Keep in mind that a proper diagnosis is necessary for  a successful treatment plan.