Often times when people get a mild injury, they are tempted to tough it out and wait until everything heals. However, when it comes to back injuries, if you don’t get treatment right away then you risk developing chronic back pain and other issues. When it comes to back injuries it is better to be safe than sorry, so visit an accident injury doctor to avoid complications from leaving a back injury untreated.
Causes of Back Pain
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, suffered a sports injury, or experienced an injury at work then you may experience pain and discomfort. Neck and back injuries are common in car accidents and you want to make sure you get the proper treatment and care for any type of spinal injury. Sports injuries can harm your back, especially in high contact sports like football or wrestling. Slip and fall injuries or other work-related injuries can also affect your spine and lead to back pain.
How Back Pain Affects Your Health and Well-Being
You shouldn’t have to live with back pain and its negative effects on your health and well-being. Back pain can significantly impact your quality of life and keep you from participating in activities you enjoy. Here are some ways back pain can affect you mentally and physically:
Chronic Back Pain
A back injury that is only partially treated or left untreated can lead to chronic back pain. Chronic back pain refers to pain that lasts long after you sustained an injury. You can develop chronic back pain from all kinds of injuries or accidents. Our backs help keep us upright and support all our movements, whether we are standing or sitting. When you have chronic back pain, it can make even small movements or positions feel impossible.
Decreased Mobility
When you have back pain in a certain area, it can cause you to avoid certain movements that may make that pain worse. Over time, this can lead to decreased mobility as you avoid certain movements and motions. When you experience a decrease in mobility, you may also experience stiff, sore muscles and a decrease in your range of motion. For example, a lower back injury may lead to back pain that causes you to avoid certain bending motions or picking up heavy things.
Digestive Issues
Back pain can also lead to other issues inside the body, like digestive issues. When you have back pain that bothers you all the time, the stress of it can actually impact your body’s ability to process foods healthily. You may also find yourself sitting slouched or hunched over to compromise for a painful experience when sitting, which can put pressure on your stomach and intestines as they try to do their work.
Poor Nervous System Functioning
Chronic back pain can also lead to poor nervous system functioning, especially when a back injury goes untreated. Even the smallest injury like a slipped disc or misalignment in your spine can actually impact your entire nervous system. The nervous system is housed in the spinal column, so any damage to the spine or the spinal discs can put pressure on the nervous system and nearby nerves. When nerves are compressed or pinched, it affects their healthy functioning and communication.
Depression and Mood Changes
Over time, chronic back pain can also lead to mood changes and even depression. When you suffer from back pain for a long time, it can become so frustrating because of how you aren’t able to do the things you used to enjoy. The stress of back pain and its effect on your quality of life can cause you to feel depressed, angry, and sad. People with chronic back pain want to be able to pick up their kids, play their favorite sports, and even take a walk around the block without having to be in constant pain.
Treating Back Pain After an Accident
AICA Orthopedics has teams of accident injury doctors who specialize in car accident injuries, sports injuries, and other types of accidents that can lead to back pain. We have orthopedic doctors, neurologists, surgeons, chiropractors, and physical therapists who can all work together to provide you with comprehensive care for your injury and help you experience lasting relief from chronic back pain. Our accident injury doctors will treat the root cause of your back pain so you don’t have to worry about lingering back pain after an accident.
