Spinal Cord Injuries After a Cobb County Car Accident
Injuries to the neck and back after a car accident are extremely common. However, they vary in seriousness, like many other injuries. Spinal cord injuries can affect victims for the rest of their lives in some situations.
Because spinal cord injuries are often complex, treatments from medical experts who deal with neck and back trauma may be necessary. Unfortunately, this type of treatment may also require numerous surgeries, physical therapy, and pain management. While some neck and back injuries may not seem that serious at the time of the accident, they can still have long-term adverse effects on victims.
The Importance of the Spinal Cord Generally
The spinal cord carries signals through the body with the help of a complex system of nerves that sit in the center of the spinal column. If you damage your back or neck, you may also damage your nerves as well. Nerve damage can result in injuries that may not seem to be associated with the back. For example, losing feeling or sensation in other parts of the body is somewhat common with spinal cord injuries.
In a car accident, particularly rear-end accidents, the spine and neck are sometimes stretched out extensively and then they contract quickly. This type of movement can cause strains, tears, and other types of damage. The soft cushion between each vertebrae, called the disc, can become ruptured, displaced, or otherwise harmed. The result of this type of movement is not only painful, but it can also cause long-term damage and decrease your ability to move.
While damage to the neck is fairly common after a car accident, spinal cord injuries are more severe as they may result in loss of sensation, paralysis, or an inability to conduct basic life functions such as breathing.
Treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries may require testing such as:
- X-rays
- CT Scans
- Myelograms
- Bone scans
- MRIs
These tests will determine how severe your injury may be. The type of treatment that you need will vary significantly depending on the damage. Sometimes the treatments required, including pain medication, injections, or visiting a chiropractor, are only temporary solutions to what may be a very long-term problem.
Keep in mind that back injuries do not always result in spinal cord damage. Spinal cord damage involves the nerves instead of the spinal column or discs. You cannot reverse the damage to the spinal cord. However, some medications can help promote nerve cell regeneration or improve nerve function.
Common neck and back injuries, however, respond better to treatments such as pain medications and physical therapy. For this reason, it is important to distinguish the difference between a back or neck injury and a spinal cord injury.
Getting Legal Help After a Car Accident in Kennesaw, Georgia
If you have been in an accident that has resulted in a spinal cord injury, your medical expenses and treatments may last for the rest of your life. Getting the compensation that you deserve is especially important in these cases because of the severity of your damage. Call Williams Elleby Howard & Easter LLC at 833 – LEGALGA today for a free consultation to discuss your case.
