The Impacts of Back Injury

Around 60 - 80% of people are affected by low back pain at some point in their life. It is one of the leading causes of absence from work as the person suffering may feel completely incapacitated. Back pain can be caused by any number of injuries and can even be the result of poor posture or sitting awkwardly at your desk. Back pain tends to affect people in the 45 to 60 age range but can affect anyone at any stage in their life. In fact young people partaking in lots of sport are particularly vulnerable.

The back is a complicated structure which is supported by the spinal column. The spine is made up of many small bones called vertebrae that are separated by discs which allow the back to bend. The spinal structure is supported by muscles and ligaments. The delicate spinal nerve runs through the middle of the vertebra and carries nerves from the brain to the rest of the body.

The back is incredibly strong and flexible and allows us to be mobile in many different ways. It is easy to disregard the ease with which we can move, until something goes wrong. Anyone who has suffered from a back injury knows how debilitating it can be,

There are four main causes of back pain. They are as follows:

* Facet syndrome which is caused by sudden excessive movement and often causes low back pain on one side of the spine only. The complaint occurs when the back parts of the spine, which interconnect with one another (the facets), compress and irritate the soft tissue in between. This can inflame the nerves exiting the spine and cause the same type of symptoms commonly seen with pinched nerve conditions.

* Sacro Iliac Joint Disfunction which is caused by a traumatic incident affecting the joints at the back of the pelvis. Onset of the complaint is gradual over months to years and is the cause of pain in 15% of lower back pain sufferers.

* Slipped discs which generally occur in the lower lumber region of the spine. A slipped disc happens when the soft part of the disc bulges through the circle of connective tissue. This can cause pain when the disc pushes on the spinal cord or the nerve roots. It is thought that as many as 20% of the population suffer from a slipped disc and don't experience any noticeable problems.

* Stress fractures of the lower spine which are often caused by overuse of the lower back in sport. The injury occurs when muscles become fatigued and are no longer able to absorb extra shock. Eventually, the fatigued muscle transfers the overload of stress to the bone causing a tiny crack called a stress fracture.

The spine is made up of various structures and each of these is capable of causing pain. For example the large and small nerves running to the legs and in the spine itself may become irritated. Ligaments and muscles may can become damaged and result in pain.

Spinal injuries

Back injuries can be serious and life changing but damage to a ligament or a slipped disc will not lead to complete disability unlike spinal injuries. The spinal cord which carries nerves from the brain to the rest of the body and controls movement and coordination is extremely fragile. It is part of the central nervous system and is protected by cerable spinal fluid that acts as a cushion to protect the delicate nerve tissues.

If the nerve is damaged anywhere from top to bottom then life changing injuries can occur. If the spinal cord is damaged it is likely that the person may suffer from partial or complete paralysis from the neck down.
The severity of the paralysis is determined by how much damage is done and to what part of the spine.

• C4 Tetraplegia: Upper cervical vertebrae (neck), total paralysis from the neck down
• C6 Tetraplegia: Thoracic vertebrae, attached to the ribs, partial paralysis in hands and arms and lower body
• T4 Paraplegia: Thoracic vertebrae, paralysis below the chest
• L1 Paraplegia: Lumbar vertebrae lower back, paralysis below the waist

People who have experienced this kind of injury may be dependant on the care of others for the rest of their lives. Every day tasks can become impossible and total adaptation is needed to live a relatively normal life.

Accidents are one of the most common causes of spinal injuries. Around 36.8% of spinal injuries are caused by a car accident. These are quite shocking statistics when you realise that there were a total of 290,607 road casualties reported in 2003. Many accidents are caused by the negligence of another person. If you have been injured through no fault of your own then you may wish to seek legal advice.

For free and impartial legal advice following a back injury in a road accident and to find out how to make a personal injury claim call us on 0800 78 38 846 or visit www.wheelsatonce.com

Editorial note: We have many years experience of handling personal injury claims. They help people to claim compensation and to get access to rehabilitation and medical care after non fault accidents.

By Sophie Evans: www.wheelsatonce.com Compensation following a non fault accident.