What Causes Back Injury?

If you or someone you care about sustained a back injury in any car or other accident, please contact us now for a FREE consultation. There is NO fee on injury claims until you WIN!

Back injuries result from damage, wear or trauma to the bones, muscles or other tissues of the back. Back injuries can result from sudden jolts that occur in car, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian and fall accidents.

The back extends from the neck to the buttocks, made up of the thoracic (upper) and lumbar (lower) vertebrae. The back consists of an intricate structure of bones, muscles and other tissues. Between the vertebrae are disks that act like shock absorbers. Nerves from the brain to the legs run in the tunnel called the spinal canal. These structures are often injured in car collisions, and back injuries are cited as the most common reason for absenteeism in the general workforce after the common cold. About 80 percent of adults are estimated to experience a back injury in their lifetime, and about 10 percent will suffer a re-injury.

In the United States, back disorders account for over 24 percent of all occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH).

Whiplash is one of the most common types of car accident back injuries. Whiplash accounts for more than one million car accident back injuries each year. Ten percent of these cars, truck and motorcycle accident back injuries lead to long term disability. The most frequent area of pain is in the low back or lumbar region. Whiplash car accident back injuries, though common, are sometimes difficult to diagnose. Common back injuries include

• Bulging discs- When disks bulge through the crevice of the spine.
• Herniated discs- Where the cushion that sits between the spinal vertebra is pushed outside its normal position.
• Ruptured discs- When the jellylike material (nucleus) inside the disc breaks through the outer shell (capsule or annulus) of the spinal disc.
• Lumbar strain/low back strain- A low back muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn. A lumbar sprain occurs when the ligaments, the tough bands of tissue that hold bones together, are torn from their attachments.
• Spinal fractures-occurs when one of the bones in the spine fractures or collapses.
• Paralysis-Is the complete or partial loss of function, feeling or sensation that involves the motion in a part of the body. Back injuries cause a disruption in the communication between your brain and the other parts of your body. These messages cannot flow past the damaged area of the spinal cord and thus all control is lost below the point of break in the cord.
• Sciatica- Pain in the lower extremity resulting from irritation of the sciatic nerve. The pain of sciatica is typically felt from the low back (lumbar area) to behind the thigh and radiating down below the knee. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and begins from nerve roots in the lumbar spinal cord in the low back and extends through the buttock area to send nerve endings down the lower limb. The pain of sciatica is sometimes referred to as sciatic nerve pain.

Back Injuries often are catastrophic. Therefore, if you are suffering from any of these symptoms it is important to take immediate action:

• Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the hips.
• Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back or lower back -- especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity.
• Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods.
• Back pain that radiates from the low back to the buttock, down the back of the thigh, and into the calf and toes.
• Inability to stand straight without having severe muscle spasms in the low back.
• Pain in the rear or leg that is worse when sitting
• Burning or tingling down the leg
• Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot
• A constant pain on one side of the rear
• A shooting pain that makes it difficult to stand up