If you think of lower back pain and whiplash as two different things, you are not alone. Many people think of whiplash as pain and stiffness in the neck alone, but there is a growing belief that lower back pain from car accidents can be associated with whiplash injuries as well. This explains why many accident victims suffer lower back pain from car accidents along with neck pain. Both types of pain are now being considered signs of whiplash by many doctors due to the nature of the injury causing the pain.
The Case for Lower Back Whiplash
There are a lot of injuries that can cause low back pain from car accidents and not all of them are classified as whiplash. Any type of crushing or extreme pressure on the back can injure the bones, ligaments, muscle and nerves in the lower back and spine. Yet, the lower back pain that gets classified as whiplash is a bit different. Rather than being caused by crushing against something, it comes from the forceful jolt of the cervical region of the body during the accident.
The spine naturally has a curve to it, but the force throwing and jolting the body during an accident can cause the outer ligaments to straighten. Even if this just happens briefly, it can cause stiffness, soreness, and a lot of lower back pain. The spine is designed to handle a lot of pressure from carrying the body and supporting the muscle and organs of the body, but it is not designed to withstand strong force coming from the front or back of the body.
There have been studies completed with dummies that show low back pain from car accidents can easily result just from being pushed backward into a car seat in an accident. This type of injury is considered a symptom of whiplash because it occurs from the forceful movement of the body forward and/or backward, just as whiplash in the neck is caused by the forceful movement of the neck.
Treating Lower Back Pain from Car Accidents
Just like whiplash pain in the neck, low grade injuries will gradually go away on their own with rest and perhaps a bit of massage therapy. Yet, there are some cases where the impact is so forceful the lower back pain can continue on for months if not years. In this case more substantial physical therapy will be needed to help control the pain and ease it over time.
If you or someone you love is suffering from low back pain from car accidents, it is important to seek medical attention right away. It is possible that you are suffering from whiplash that will go away fairly quickly, but it is also possible that more substantial damage to the spine has been sustained and you will need more advanced physical therapy to fully recover.
This article is considered general information only; please consult a medical professional concerning your specific condition.
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