Spinal Cord Injuries to look out for if you were in a car accident

Spinal Cord Injuries Obtained in a Car Accident — Albert Law PLLC in Seattle

Do you need a Seattle spinal cord injury attorney? Being injured in a car accident is no fun. Injuries can range from just a few cuts and scrapes to major spinal cord injuries. The Seattle spinal cord injury attorneys at Albert Law PLLC handle spinal cord injuries sustained in accidents in the Seattle area.

The spine consists of a bundle of nerves, tissue, and vertebrae that run down your back, connecting to your brain, forming the central nervous system. The spinal cord, when injured, causes pain in many different areas of the body.

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

• Bulging Discs — When in a car accident, the neck can whip forward and back, hence the term “whiplash.” The sudden force causes a disc to protrude out of its natural alignment and is known as a bulging disc.
• Fractured Vertebrae — There are 33 vertebrae in your spine. If one fractures, it can pinch or compress your spinal cord. The severity of a broken vertebra depends on the stability of the spine following the fracture.
• Ruptured or Herniated Discs — The discs in your spine sit between your vertebrae. They consist of a soft inside and a rigid cartilage perimeter. When your back is hit with significant and sudden force back as in a rear-end collision, the soft inner layer of a disc may tear through its rigid perimeter, causing a condition known as a herniated or ruptured disc. Untreated bulging discs can become herniated and are very painful.
• Paraplegia — This is a form of paralysis in which muscle function from the waist down is restricted or nonexistent. Paraplegia can result from injuries to the mid-back or thoracic spine.
• Pinched nerves — The nerves in your spinal cord send signals to every part of the body. If a herniated or bulging disc presses on a nerve, it could cause other muscles to hurt, tingle, or go numb.
• Quadriplegic — A form of paralysis where there is often little to no movement from the neck down. Quadriplegia results from severe injuries to the cervical spine.
• Spinal Stenosis — Spinal stenosis is when the spaces in your spinal cord begin to narrow. This puts pressure on the spinal column and the nerves. Some people are born with spinal stenosis, but others develop it following severe trauma to the spine.
• Spondylolysis — This is a general term used to describe degenerative conditions of the back. It is usually the result of natural wear and tear or aging, it can also be caused by a traumatic injury.

If you’ve suffered a back injury, the Seattle spinal cord injury lawyers at Albert Law PLLC can help.

How to Treat an Injury of the Spinal Cord

Symptoms of spinal cord injuries can include:

• Back pain
• Difficulty breathing, coughing
• Digestive problems
• Headaches
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Loss of sensation of temperature or touch
• Muscle weakness or loss of motion
• Pain or stiffness in the neck
• Pinching sensations or painful stinging in the back may represent a pinched nerve
• Problems walking
• Sexual dysfunction
• Spreading numbness or tingling in the extremities
• Unconsciousness
• Unexplained muscle spasms
• Weakness

Treatment involves medications to relieve symptoms and/or surgery to stabilize the spine.

Medication

• Steroid therapy minimizes the secondary effects of spinal cord injury.
  • Methylprednisolone
• Analgesics to relieve pain
  • Codeine
  • Hydrocodone
  • Oxycodone
  • Methadone

Procedures

• Spinal surgery to stabilize the spine.

Therapy

• Traction of the spine to keep it immobile.
• Rehabilitation — Physical and occupational therapy, coping strategies for dealing with spasticity and pain, and assistive devices like leg braces, walkers, or wheelchairs.

Self-care

• Avoid strenuous activities

Nutrition

Suggested foods:

• Protein-rich foods — eggs and meat
• Vitamin A rich food — beef, broccoli, carrots, kale, liver, spinach
• Vitamin C rich foods — broccoli, citrus fruits, papaya, strawberries

Foods to avoid:

• Alcohol
• Fast foods like burgers and fries due to excess calories, as metabolism is impaired
• High sodium foods to reduce fluid retention, which could raise blood pressure
• Sugars

How A Lawyer Can Help

A Seattle spinal cord injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve after suffering this injury. Spinal cord injuries are often catastrophic, resulting in partial or total paralysis. Adjusting without the use of one or more limbs is not only emotionally challenging but financially draining. In addition to medical bills immediately following your injury, physical therapy, a wheelchair, and renovations to make your home and vehicle wheelchair accessible will result.

If your injury occurred because of a vehicle accident, defective product, or someone else’s negligence, a spinal cord injury lawyer Seattle may be able to get you a financial settlement. Spinal cord injury cases can involve significant sums of money. Therefore, it’s best to work with an experienced spinal cord injury attorney. Contact the Washington spinal cord injury attorney firm of Albert Law PLLC if you need their help receiving compensation for an injury. You will be glad you did!