Spinal injuries can be caused by any number of things but, more often than not they are caused by some form of trauma. One of the most frequent causes of this type of trauma is car, truck, motorcycle or other type of motor vehicle accident. The impact of these accidents can put a tremendous strain on the spine.
The spine is composed of bones called vertabrae and in between each one of these bones is a small disc made of a gel-like substance. When the spine gets traumatically jolted in one direction and then then another, these discs often move out of normal alignment. Many times, this causes them to press against the nerves that run through the canals of the spine to various other parts of the body. This can cause very serious complications including but not limited to the following: extreme neck and back pain or numbness, pain and numbness down extremeties like the shoulders, arms, hands, legs, and feet. An MRI is usually necessary to determine the extent of these bulges and what the proper course of treatment should be. Treatment options range from physical therapy, so called "trigger point" injections of steroids to shrink the tissue, or surgical options, which range from removing a portion of the disc to relieve the pressure on the nerves (usually called a "Microdiscectomy") to a removal of the entire disc and a fusion of the two vertabrae above and below the disc.
The bottom line is that if you have been in an auto accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident or other motor vehicle accident, and begin having any of the above described symptoms, you need to get the proper evaluation and treatment. A good accident or injury attorney can assist you in finding the proper places to go and seek out this type of examination and treatment.
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