How Can Spinal Trauma Affect You?

After a serious car accident, your spinal injury may prevent you from common everyday tasks like walking around your house or carrying groceries.

This injury can affect every part of your life, including your emotional and physical well-being.

Loss of sensation and touch

According to the Mayo Clinic, sometimes your ability to feel sensations on your skin changes after severe spinal trauma. Being able to tell hot from cold temperatures merely by touching an item may become a challenge, and it could leave you feeling frustrated. This could lead to instances where you may get burned or further injured because of this problem.

Difficulty with fitness

Trauma from an accident can affect your lungs and chest as well as just your spine. This can lead to shortened breath and the inability to exercise. In some cases, you may even be at greater risk for getting pneumonia or other health issues.

Besides harming your respiratory system, spine injuries also typically affect your muscle tone and strength. This can make it hard to lift weights or run continuously, let alone walk around normally. Muscle spasms can lead to a less active lifestyle due to the pain and inconvenience of this symptom.

Trouble with your bowels

Complications from the accident can lead to an increased loss of bowel control over time or the inability to sense when your bowels are full. Bladder stones and kidney infections are more common in people who struggle with this health complication. Spine injuries can greatly impact the daily lifestyle of anyone who has recently been in a serious car accident.

Individuals who have suffered spinal trauma after an accident should understand their legal options and right to file a claim. It may be in their best interests to pursue legal action to help try to recover damages to help pay for immediate and long-term medical care.