Spinal Cord Injuries: Pinched Nerves, Degenerative Discs and Chronic Pain

A spinal cord injury will change your life in an instant, even if you are not paralyzed. There are other serious back and spinal cord injuries you can sustain in a car crash, at work, or after falling, including pinched nerves, degenerative discs and chronic pain. All three of these spinal cord injuries can force you to miss work, cause trouble providing for your family, necessitate extensive rehabilitation, lead to massive medical bills, and much more.

Pinched nerves from a spinal cord injury

According to the Mayo Clinic, one of the most common injuries suffered by victims of a spinal cord accident other than paralysis is that of pinched nerves. A pinched nerve occurs when there is too much pressure placed on the nerve by the tissues that surround it. It will present the following symptoms:

• Burning, aching, sharp pain that radiates outward from the injured area of the body
• Numbness in the area of the injury
• Having a frequent sensation that your feet or hands have fallen asleep
• Sensation of pins and needles or tingling in the area of the injury
• Weakness of the muscles in the area of the body affected by the injury

It is possible that the symptoms caused by a pinched nerve could be more serious and difficult to bear when you are sleeping, and lack of sleep can impede the healing process. There might not be permanent damage if the nerve is only pinched temporarily, or if you catch the injury before the damage is done. In some cases, however, the damage can be permanent.

Degenerative discs

Degenerative disc disease is often part of aging, where the discs of the spinal cord shrink and lose their strength. This causes a lot of back pain and even osteoarthritis. While a car accident or construction site accident cannot cause degenerative disc disease, it certainly can exacerbate the symptoms of the disease. An undiagnosed infection may also lead to degenerative disc disease.

The most common symptoms of the condition include:

• Periods of severe pain
• Trouble twisting, lifting or bending
• Pain the thighs and buttocks
• Pain goes away when lying down or changing positions
• Trouble sitting
• Pain from the neck that moves to the arms

Chronic pain is part of almost every spinal cord injury

It is not uncommon for victims of spinal cord injuries to suffer from chronic pain. It is such a common occurrence that it is estimated close to 80% of people with spinal cord injury also deal with some type of long-term pain. There are two common types of chronic pain spinal cord injury victims suffer from: neuropathic, which is caused by damage to the nerves, and musculoskeletal, which is caused by miscommunication between your brain and your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Depending on the type of injury you have, you could experience one form or the other – or both – at any time. Chronic pain can impact your daily life greatly, affecting how you eat, sleep, your mood, your social interactions and more.

Spinal cord injuries are catastrophic injuries. If you sustained damage to your back, spinal column, or spinal cord, it is important that you seek experienced legal representation, so you are compensated for your injuries. Larson Law has offices in Minot and Bismarck to best serve our clients. Call our North Dakota SCI lawyers today at 701-484-4878 or complete a contact form to schedule a consultation.