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Hard-hitting facts about spinal injuries from car accidents

It all happened so fast. On the other hand, it seemed to happen in slow motion. The other vehicle came out of nowhere and T-boned or rear-ended you, and since that day, you haven't felt quite right. Maybe there is some tingling in your hands or numbness in your legs. A doctor may have checked you out when paramedics took you to the hospital, but days later, new symptoms appeared, and you are concerned.

You have every right to worry. Forty percent of spinal injuries result from motor vehicle accidents, and those injuries are nothing to brush off. The spine is a vital part of both the skeletal and nervous systems of your body, and injuries from car accidents can be especially severe.

Whiplash is no joke

Whiplash gets a bad rap, and people complaining of its symptoms following a collision may face accusations of faking for attention or financial gain. This is probably because the physical results of a whiplash injury are not always visible on X-rays or other diagnostic images, but the pain and suffering are real.

You may suffer whiplash when the abrupt impact of another vehicle into yours, especially from behind, jerks your body forward and backward rapidly, damaging the soft tissues in your neck. You may not feel much pain at first, but within a day or so, you may experience a range of symptoms, including:

  • Headaches and difficulty with concentration or memory
  • Pain
  • Blurred vision or dizziness
  • Ringing in your ears
  • Irritability and fatigue
  • Trouble sleeping

Impact lower in your spine may have resulted in a herniated disc. When the disc does its job and absorbs the blow to the spine, the center of the disc may rupture through cracks in its exterior. A serious herniation may be painful or cause weakness or numbness in the arms or legs.

Devastating injuries

If the impact of the collision threw your body forward into the restraint of your seatbelt, you may have suffered spinal fracture. Hopefully, New Mexico emergency responders took precautions to immobilize your spine to prevent further injury. However, the frightening truth is that spinal fractures may include spinal cord injuries if the vertebrae in your back moved. Such a fracture may have devastating and lifelong results, including partial or complete paralysis.

Back pain following an automobile accident can be painful and debilitating. Injuries to the spine often require physical therapy or surgery, combined with medications to reduce swelling and relieve pain. If you have suffered a more serious injury, you may see no end to the medical treatment ahead. Fortunately, you have the right to seek advice from a legal professional who understands how unfair it is for you to suffer as a result of someone else's negligence.

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