INJURIES AND PAIN
Motor Vehicle Injuries
Whether it’s minor back and neck aches or lingering pain, auto accidents can result in a number of injuries with a wide range of symptoms. If you’ve suffered an injury as a result of an auto accident, efforts to successfully manage your pain frequently include a combination of treatments, which can be adjusted or modified as you make progress during your recovery, tailored to your symptoms.
Causes
Back and neck pain is often a result of an auto injury, usually caused by some type of sudden force. Affecting the neck and shoulders, whiplash is an example of a common auto-related injury resulting from a sudden forward or backward motion or a hard twist to either side. Neck pain can also stem from cervical radiculopathy or a disc injury. Lower back pain or mid-back pain from an auto injury is typically caused by some type of strain, fracture, or disc injury. Psychological issues related to an auto injury can cause emotional stress that may result in increased muscle tension. Inflammation from a direct impact to bones or joints can also be a cause of pain from an auto injury, although this type of pain is usually temporary unless there is another contributing factor.
Symptoms
Symptoms related to an auto injury can appear over time rather than immediately after the trauma. Immediate symptoms may include sharp, intense pain in the affected area, difficulty walking or maintaining balance, or discomfort starting as a dull ache that becomes progressively worse over time. Back and neck pain from an auto injury may be affected by movement, with discomfort varying. Leg and hip pain tends to be pressure-related, with symptoms present when you sit or stand in certain positions.
Pain associated with an auto injury can include one or more of the following symptoms:
Neck or shoulder pain and stiffness
Abdominal pain, redness, or swelling
Changes in physical function
Pain that gets worse while sleeping
Radiating numbness or tingling
Treatments
Treatment for auto injuries depends on the extent of damage to muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments and the underlying source of the pain. If your musculoskeletal system is affected in some way by your injury, which is often the case, chiropractic treatments may be recommended. Such treatments will include an effort to pinpoint the source of your pain, which may not be in the location where you’re experiencing discomfort. Physiotherapy, a hands-on approach to relieving muscle tension designed to promote mobility and increase functioning, may be a recommended treatment if you’re dealing with persistent muscle aches and difficulty with movements. Treatment may also include:
Physical or massage therapy
Epidural steroid injections
Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS)
Even seemingly minor auto injuries shouldn’t be ignored. If you experience pain a few days, or even weeks, afterwards, contact Chicago Institute for Neuropathic Pain today to seek treatment to determine if there’s an issue requiring attention. A personalized approach to therapy that includes identifying the source of your pain, medication management, and nutrition and wellness education is often beneficial.
WORK RELATED INJURIES
From muscle strains and pulls to joint and back-related pain, work-related injuries can result in a wide range of painful conditions that can be either temporary or chronic in nature, with some requiring more extensive treatment than others. Due to the diversity of what can be considered a “work-related injury,” symptoms can be mild, severe, sudden, progressive, or somewhere in between any of these descriptions. Treating such injuries starts with making an accurate diagnosis of what’s causing the pain and often includes a combination of remedies ranging from pain medications to some type of physical therapy.
CAUSES
Some degree of muscle strain is a common cause of work-related injuries, usually resulting from improper lifting techniques or overextending a muscle and corresponding joint. Injuries in the workplace can also be caused by being struck by an object, which may result in back, shoulder, knee, or leg pain, depending on location of the impact. Overexertion and falls account for nearly $30 billion in workers’ compensation costs alone.
Low back pain is the most common source of job-related pain, although work-related injuries can also be caused by:
Repetitive motions
Being struck against an object
Sudden or hard body movements
SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of work-related injuries can be gradual and progressive when repetitive motion injuries are involved, as is often the case with carpal tunnel syndrome, which is caused by a pinched nerve. Symptoms from repetitive muscle strain or overexertion can include dull aches that are initially mild and become increasingly worse due to inflammation and joint or tissue damage. For injuries involving a fall, the pain may be intense and felt instantly or become evident later after inflammation develops in the affected area.
Some other signs of a work-related injury include:
Sudden or sharp pain that doesn’t go away with initial rest
Pain aggravated by certain movements involved with your job
Mild discomfort that lingers or becomes increasingly persistent
TREATMENTS
If the source of your pain from a work-related injury isn’t clear from image tests, a functional capacity evaluation may be recommended to determine your ability to perform movements involving lifting, standing, walking, pushing, and pulling. When it’s work-related back pain you’re dealing with, treatment often includes some type of physical therapy and the use of pain medications on a temporary basis, although including anti-inflammatory foods in your diet can also help and minimize your risk of issues with pain medications.
Treatment may also involve:
Aggressive injury management
Ongoing chiropractic care
Encouragement of preventative steps
Successful management of pain resulting from a work-related injury depends on the extent of the injury and when it’s diagnosed and treated. If your pain reaches a point where it’s either manageable or has become minimal or non-existent, you may need to modify your work-activities, especially if you’re in an occupation that involves heavy lifting or repetitive motions, in order to minimize the risk of sustaining additional injuries. As with any type of injury, early diagnosis greatly increases your odds of seeing positive treatment results.
Contact Chicago Institute for Neuropathic Pain today, to receive the treatment you need from a work related injury.
