What’s Causing Neck & Lower Back Pain After a Car Accident in Kansas City?

Ryan Bradley | November 3, 2023 | Car Accident

What’s Causing Neck & Lower Back Pain After a Car Accident in Kansas City?

Neck and lower back pain are some of the most common car accident injuries people experience after a crash in Kansas City, MO. However, getting to the bottom of exactly what’s wrong can be a challenge. The spine is one of the most complicated — and most important — parts of the body.

You need a medical professional to properly diagnose neck and lower back pain after a car accident. However, understanding how these injuries occur and knowing the most common types can give you an idea of what sort of injury you’re dealing with and the potential long-term effects. 

Why Neck and Lower Back Pain After Car Accidents Is Common

Your spinal column begins at the base of your skull and extends all the way down your back. This delicate column of vertebrae houses a bundle of nerves that extend from your brain out to all parts of your body.

Your spinal column is what allows you to move, but it’s also responsible for helping all parts of your body communicate with your brain. Everything from your ability to feel pain to your ability to digest food is connected to a properly functioning spine. 

As important as the spine is, it’s also very delicate. An injury to the neck or back can have a long-term impact that might include paralysis, limited mobility, and chronic pain. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of neck and back injuries. 

While cars come equipped with cushioned seats, headrests, seat belts, and airbags, these safety measures often aren’t enough to protect the body from a spinal cord injury, especially when the vehicle sustains a strong impact. 

Crash Types Most Likely To Cause Neck and Back Pain 

Any car accident has the potential to cause neck and back injuries. However, certain types of accidents put the spinal column most at risk of being injured. 

Some of the types of crashes most likely to cause car accident back pain and neck pain include: 

You should always listen to your body after a car accident. Even a simple fender-bender can lead to a serious spinal injury. Just because a crash seems minor doesn’t mean it can’t cause serious injuries. However, if you were involved in any of the crash types listed above, it means you’re at higher risk of having experienced serious damage to your spinal column. 

The Most Common Neck and Back Injuries After a Crash

Most people don’t know much about the structure and function of the spine. However, once you experience a spinal injury, you’re bound to learn more about your injuries and their long-term implications. 

Spinal injuries rarely improve without treatment, and they usually get worse when you ignore them. If you’re dealing with neck or back pain after a crash, it’s important that you have a medical professional conduct an examination as soon as possible. 

Taking a closer look at three of the most common types of car accident neck and back injuries can help give you an idea of what sort of injury you’ve suffered. 

Whiplash

Whiplash is one spinal injury most people have heard of. As the name implies, whiplash occurs when your neck is suddenly snapped forward and then back, mimicking the motion of a whip snapping in the air. 

Whiplash is most common with rear-end and head-on collisions. Unlike other spinal injuries, even a small tap on your car has the potential to cause whiplash. It is often thought of as a neck injury. However, any part of the spine can be injured in an accident that causes whiplash.

Herniated Disc 

The spinal column is composed of 33 small, rounded bones called vertebrae. Between each of these bones is a small cushion called a disc. The discs in your spine are what allow it to move flexibly without the bones grinding together. 

A herniated disc is one of the most common types of car accident injuries. The discs in the spine have a tough outer layer and a squishy inner layer. With a herniated disc injury, the outer layer is damaged, causing the inner layer to escape. 

Over time, the bones in the spine begin to grind against each other, causing reduced mobility and severe chronic pain. This serious spinal injury usually requires surgery. 

Lumbar Sprains

The lumbar region of the spine is more commonly known as the lower back. The spinal column is composed of bones, but those bones are surrounded by a complex system of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These all work together to provide stability and support, allowing you to walk, bend, and stand upright.

When your lower back sustains an impact during a crash, it’s easy for the soft tissues surrounding the spinal column to become sprained. 

Lumbar sprains can be easy to write off as lingering soreness. However, ignoring a lumbar sprain means you’re more likely to do further damage by continuing to put stress on the area instead of giving it the rest and medical treatment it needs. 

If you’re experiencing neck and back pain after a car accident, ignoring your pain is the worst thing you can do. Pain is a sign you need a doctor to conduct an examination for neck or lower back pain. Car accident injuries that impact the neck and back are often expensive.  

These types of injuries can lead to many years of medical costs and often require surgery or even multiple surgeries. They tend to slowly worsen over time, impacting mobility, earning ability, and overall quality of life. 

If you think you might have suffered a spinal injury in a Kansas City crash, protecting yourself begins now. You should see a doctor and consult a Kansas City car accident lawyer about your compensation options. Waiting to get help means your injuries get worse as the clock runs out on how much time you have to recover the car accident compensation you need.

Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm For Help Today

For more information, please contact Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free case evaluation today.

St. Louis Office
1430 Washington Ave Suite #226 St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 710-2191

Kansas City Office
1509 NE Parvin Rd, Suite A., Kansas City, MO 64116
(816) 720-7520

Richmond Heights Office
1201 Bellevue Ave, Richmond Heights, MO 63117
(314) 207-4399

Or if you would prefer you can contact us online.