When you get into a car accident, you will likely not get out unscathed. Many injuries common to car crashes focus on the head, neck and back.
However, back injuries that do not involve the spinal cord often end up overlooked. Despite this, they can cause a good deal of damage in and of themselves.
Back injuries and chronic pain
The International Association for the Study of Pain looks at the far-reaching impact of back pain. Specifically, back pain associated with muscles or nerves, as opposed to damage done to the spine or spinal cord.
Back pain has a high rate of becoming chronic for sufferers. Chronic pain is well studied in terms of how it may negatively affect every aspect of a person’s life.
For example, people with chronic pain typically have higher rates of suffering from depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. They often suffer from a more pessimistic or negative worldview that can induce additional stress, raising cortisol levels and harming the victim’s overall health, happiness and wellness.
The idea of living with endless pain for an indefinite amount of time can wear anyone down. Even relatively mild cases of pain can become nearly unbearable for many people. Unfortunately, many chronic pain sufferers also turn to self-harm or even suicide.
The impact on physical capability
Back injuries and pain can impact a person’s life in ways beyond the mental and emotional, too. For example, a person can become physically incapable of doing the work they once did, leading to a sudden halt in income that can compound stress even more. It is an all-around horrible situation for the injury victim.