Many people don’t realize how important their neck is in everyday life, until they have a problem with their neck. All of a sudden, everything in life seems harder. Your neck pain can be the source of irritation that makes you mad and makes it hard for you to focus on anything for long. Your neck pain can be so severe that it completely disables you. Neck pain can also morph over time. It can be unpredictable and uncertain. The pain can go away. But according to medical experts, once you start having neck problems due to a traumatic injury, the likelihood of you having neck pain for the rest of your life is high.

After an accident, many people go to the ER and get X-rays done on their spine. Your ER medical records may say “no fractures.” But that doesn’t mean you don’t have pain. And that doesn’t mean you don’t have injuries. X-rays don’t show soft tissue injuries, like when the spinal discs in your neck are ruptured and leaking. You may be able to walk away right after your accident feeling fine, even though you suffered an injury. And that same injury might result in you needing major surgery later.

Properly diagnosing a spinal | neck injury requires more than just an X-ray on the day of your accident. Spine | neck injuries are often complicated and can evolve over time. So, more advanced tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) or computerized tomography (CT) scans may be necessary to fully understand the seriousness of your injuries
 

Common Spine | Neck Injuries

The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae, and tissue that separates them called discs. The bones of the spine are comprised of seven vertebrae in the neck (cervical), twelve vertebrae in the mid-back (thoracic), and five vertebrae in the lower back (lumbar). Common spine | neck injuries due to traumatic accidents include:

• Fractured vertebrae
• Compression fracture
• Herniated disc
• Ruptured disc
• Spinal cord injury
• Cervical dislocation
• Strains and sprains
• Chronic inflammation
• Stenosis
• Scoliosis
• Paralysis
• Whiplash
• Nerve damage
• Emotional and Psychological Injuries (flashback, anxiety, depression)
• Death

 

Common Signs of Spine | Neck Injuries

Since the spine is responsible for sending and receiving signals from the brain to the rest of the body, any damage it receives could result in temporary or permanent neurological impairment. In some cases, surgery and physical therapy can help an injured person regain some feeling and the ability to move more freely. In some cases, they don’t help. And it’s not uncommon for more damage to occur for weeks or months after the original injury occurred due to problems such as bleeding, swelling, or inflammation. Some signs of spine | neck injuries include:

• Weakness in or inability to move parts of your body
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Loss of feeling
• Nerve pain, numbness, or tingling
• Changes in sexual ability or complete lack of interest in sex
• Breathing problems
• Neck pressure
• Severe neck pain
• A strangely twisted neck

 

Types of Spine | Neck Injury Treatments

The types of treatment needed for spine | neck injuries depend on your injuries’ locations and their severity. Some types of treatment include:

• Discectomy and fusion
• Artificial disc replacement
• Epidural steroid injection
• Laminectomy
• Laminoplasty
• Foraminotomy
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Psychological treatment to learn to live with the pain

 

Costs of Spine | Neck Injuries

The medical costs and ongoing care, if needed, to treat a person who has suffered spine | neck injuries could range from tens of thousands ($10,000+) to millions of dollars ($10,000,000+). It depends on the person, the seriousness of their injuries, and what’s all needed to treat and care for them. But regardless of the amount of money needed in your case, you shouldn’t have to pay for injuries that you didn’t cause. The person who injured you should.

Xavier Injury Law is committed to making sure that those who harmed you are held accountable for harming you. Injuries are serious. They hurt. They can make you tired, grumpy, and less interested in doing things you used to enjoy doing. They can make you upset with life and the world. Injuries can change how you live. And sometimes injuries and pain can be so bad, it makes some people start thinking about whether they want to continue living. It can change a person. It can change you. Your pain and your injuries are worth something. When you’ve been hurt, don’t settle for less than you deserve. Reach out to us now, so we can help you.