Watch Your Back!A Look at Common Types of Back Injuries and How They Happen

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A Problem We Can All UnderstandAt some point in our lives, most of us will suffer some form of back pain, whether it stems from an injury, a strain or a disorder. In that sense, back pain is a shared experience. Yet, comprehending the degree to which someone with a serious back injury is suffering can be much more difficult. Unlike other types of injuries, back injuries are not always visible and because we’ve all had some degree of back pain in our own lives, we can also be dismissive of those whose injuries are truly crippling and life-altering. For this reason, it is in our best interest to understand just how bad things can get for people who suffer serious, debilitating pain due to a back injury.

The Many Causes & Types of Back InjuryBack injuries come in a variety of forms, with varying causes and implications for those that suffer them. The back is a complex network of bones, nerves, muscles and tendons. An injury to even the smallest part of the back can potentially result in a massive drop in the quality of a person’s life. These injuries can occur while we play with our children, drive our cars or do our jobs. Since the combinations of injuries and causes are nearly infinite, we will keep our focus in the pages that follow on just a few of the most common types and contributing factors of back injuries.

Spinal Cord InjuriesDamage to the spinal cord can have massive consequences, potentially impacting a person’s ability to function at a very basic level. • Every year, around 17,000 people in the United States will suffer a spinal cord injury

(SCI). • Approximately 282,000 people currently live with an existing spinal cord injury in the

U.S.• The life expectancy for those who have suffered an SCI is much lower than those

without an SCI. • After one year of suffering an SCI, only 12 percent of sufferers are employed.• After 20 years of living with SCI, only one-third of SCI sufferers are employed. • The direct medical costs of paralysis caused by SCI can total millions of dollars over

the course of a person’s life.

Spondylolisthesis• Spondylolisthesis is a type of spinal cord injury that involves the slipping of

a vertebra (the bones which make up the spinal cord) onto another vertebra.

• These injuries can be extremely painful and result in muscle stiffness in the areas surrounding the injury.

• Spondylolisthesis can be caused by trauma (as in a workplace injury, vehicle accident or sports-related activity), infection or congenital factors.

• In some cases, spondylolisthesis can affect a person for the rest of their life, affecting their ability to perform basic tasks and find gainful employment.

Herniated Disks• A herniated disk is often referred to as a slipped disk, and occurs when the

cushion between the vertebrae is displaced or affected.

• These injuries can be suffered as the result of straining or lifting an object awkwardly. They can also be caused by a blunt impact or a fall.

• In some cases, surgery might be required to fix a herniated disk, though it can also be the case that surgery worsens a person’s condition and causes them greater suffering.

Back Sprains & Strains• These injuries typically occur when stress has been placed on the muscles

in the back, often causing tears and minor bleeding.

• While back sprains and strains might be short-term for some sufferers, they can also be recurring and lead to serious pain that lasts many years.

• There is no cure for back sprains. Without adequate recovery time, the injury could also be recurring and plague a person much longer than they would otherwise.

Workplace Back Injuries• On-the-job injuries can be a major cause of serious and debilitating back pain.

Unfortunately, these injuries are very common among American workers.

• Every year, back disorders affect over 600,000 employees in the United States.

• Workplace back injuries may come in the form of repetitive stress injuries (also called repetitive motion injuries), which result from years of repeated movements or impacts that culminate in a long-lasting injury.

• Back injuries suffered on the job might also result from one single event, such as an injury sustained while lifting an object or an injury sustained from a fall, slip or trip.

Vehicle Accidents & Back InjuriesYet another major cause of serious back injury is vehicle crashes: • A 10-year study on spinal cord injuries in the United States found that

nearly 40 percent of SCIs were caused by vehicle accidents. • Lower back pain is frequently experienced by those involved in

rear-end collisions and side-impact collisions. • Vehicle crashes can also result in other bone fractures, back sprains, torn

ligaments and whiplash. • Some back injuries suffered in automobile crashes might not be readily

apparent immediately following the crash, even though great damage has been done to a person’s back.

Back Injuries Resulting from or Worsened by Surgery• While surgical procedures are intended to alleviate pain and fix problems

of the spinal cord or spinal cord disks, these surgeries can often be unnecessary and, in some cases, permanently injure a patient.

• Spinal cord fusions have been the center of much controversy due to the fact that many medical experts believe they are overused by some surgeons.

• Surgeries in which multiple vertebrae were fused together are considered the riskiest for patients, as are any back-related surgeries that are inherently more complex.

• One 2011 study found that 17 percent of patients with spine and neck complaints had been told they needed surgery when they did not.

Were You Injured by the Negligence of Another?

If your back injury was the fault of another person, the back injury attorneys at Louthian Law Firm can help. We

will investigate your case and hold the responsible party accountable for the damages you have suffered. Contact us today for a free consultation of your

case.www.louthianlaw.com