|
| Back
injury after car accident |
|
Question:
About 18 months ago i was a
driver in a head-on car accident. Fortunately I was only doing 30 and
they were doing somewhere around 15-20 when they swerved into me. I was
treated for whiplash at the time, I had a pretty sore neck and back,
burning pains and it was pretty stiff, but the pain resided further
down my back than id expected - about the T4/T5th. This could be due to
the fact that in trying to avoid the collision i kept a firm hold on
the wheel even during impact?
Having finished my physio I've found this pain has gotten worse, now so
uncomfortable that I can no-longer do simple press-ups without severe
burning in that region and great stiffness the next day. I also get
numb hands while working on a computer, which i never used to - this
makes my work quite hard seeing as i programme computers for about 8
hours a day lol. The pain can be relieved to some extent by my
girlfriend massaging around the area then pressing with most of her
bodyweight until my spine lets out a few unpleasant sounding cracks. At
this point i can breath properly again and feel somewhat revived, but
that in itself causes aches for an hour or so afterwards.
What can I do to relieve the pain?
Answer:
Better go see a back specialist and a neurologist as well.
You need to get x-rays and mri's of your entire back to be on the safe
side.
Also avoid stressing your back using pressure massage or whatever.(
you could be making the condition worse in the long run.)
As for the accident, low speeds can be just as traumatic as high speed
impacts.(I was in a low speed accident, under 25mph, and suffered
severe trauma to my back/spine in my neck, the C region as well as
L4-5 S1.( I suffered with aches and pains in my neck and lower back
for years until upon reaching my senior years it degenerated into
serious disc damage with attendant nerve damage in my spine, lower
legs and numbness.burning pain in my arms,wrists and hands much like
your symptoms.)
Something you can do until you get to a doctor is take an nsaid such
as naprosyn or advil to relieve the pain.( tylenol can help as well
when used in conjunction with anti-inflammatories for headaches and
neck pain.)
I've been told by back specialists that many back injuries can remedy
themselves with time though I've yet to meet anyone suffering who's
made any kind of recovery. Most of us wind up chronic and having to
dose constantly on every increasingly stronger meds.( I'm currently on
a regime of mscontin, percoset, flexoril and a host of anti-seizure
meds just to control the tremors and spasms.)
Hopefully in your case the injury isn't as severe and you and your
doctor will find the right treatment/meds to alleviate your pains.
If the docs recommend surgical treatment be sure to get a second
opinion and DON"T let them pressure you into a procedure hastily.(
Back surgery is a booming business in this country yet so few actually
benefit from the operations. Mostly a means of doctors getting richer,
quicker.)
Ultimately it's going to be up to you to make the descisions as to
what path to take to find relief from your pain. Being well informed
about your options and the draw-backs of each will be your best
defense.
Don't be shy about questioning your doc in detail, read up as much as
possible on the medical aspects of your injury and come back to this
group for info often. Most of us here are further down the road your
just starting to travel and will be only too happy to share what we've
gone through and learned to help you avoid any possible pitfalls.
 |
|
|
|
