Car accidents are often far more violent and destructive than victims even realize. In some cases, a victim may suffer serious internal injuries that do not cause pain for hours or even days after the accident, complicating matters when they do begin to cause pain.
This is particularly true of injuries to the spinal column and the nerves held within it. Many types of spinal injuries with serious implications do not cause instant agony, but rather wait for some time before unleashing pain or discomfort.
After a car accident, if you have sharp or radiating pain or other forms of discomfort, please go seek out professional care immediately. You don’t want a relatively minor, treatable injury to worsen before it receives proper assessment and treatment. If you suffered an injury to your spine in the accident or any other injury for that matter, you can consult with a Kansas City car accident attorney to understand your options and ensure that your rights and priorities remain protected.
Delayed spinal pain may mean serious injury
In the general public’s understanding, a broken back often means paralysis or lifelong agony and loss of functionality. However, like most things, spinal injuries occur along a sliding scale of severity, and may not cause pain or discomfort immediately.
In general terms, the spinal column not only supports your body’s weight and structure, but it also acts as a protective conduit for all of your nerves as they leave your brain and spread through the body. Unfortunately, this means that any damage to the spinal column can cause pain and discomfort anywhere, from your back itself down to your toes and out to your fingers.
In some cases, a disc in the spinal column suffers damage or moves out of alignment with the rest of the column, pinching or damaging nerves travelling through it. This can cause both radiating and sharp pain, and may even bring on numbness or ongoing tingling sensations, especially in your arms, legs and extremities.
While it is possible to address these issues in many instances, spinal injuries are very serious. Left untreated, you may experience ongoing pain and discomfort for many years after the injury.
Get the help you need to focus on recovery
After a spinal injury, you may face a long road to recovery, and the expenses may prove considerable. Before you make any decisions about how to move forward, be sure to seek out professional guidance from an experienced personal injury attorney. Professional legal counsel protects your rights while you pursue fair compensation for your suffering and other losses.