​Does Whiplash Cause Lower Back Pain?

March 10, 2022 | Whiplash Injuries

While many people associate whiplash with neck pain, there is far more to the injury than just neck pain, and some victims suffer other debilitating effects of this injury. Whiplash is common in traffic crashes, and if another driver’s negligence causes a whiplash injury, you should not wait to discuss your claim with an experienced car accident attorney.

Can Whiplash Cause Lower Back Pain?

One unexpected symptom of whiplash can be lower back pain. Even though whiplash is a neck injury, damage to your neck can reverberate throughout much of your body. Whiplash can cause pain throughout your back as it compensates for the damaged soft tissue in your neck.

Overview of Whiplash

Whiplash happens when the head whips back and forth on the neck, mimicking the cracking of a whip. The resulting pain often emanates from the neck then moves down through the shoulder and into the back and lower back. This type of pain can cause significant decreases in range of motion, making the whiplash injury much more challenging.

Consider the following facts regarding whiplash injuries:

• Every year, more than two million people throughout the country suffer whiplash injuries.
• Car accidents involving impact from the front and rear are the most common causes of whiplash injuries.
• There does not have to be a lot of force involved for the victim to suffer a severe whiplash injury that can cause significant back pain. Car accidents at speeds of as little as ten mph can do the trick.
• The pain associated with whiplash injuries can take hours, days, or even weeks to manifest. Seek medical treatment after a car accident of any magnitude and do not ignore symptoms that include even mild neck, shoulder, or back pain.

Whiplash is a common but tricky injury that can lead to debilitating lower back pain and considerable losses in your range of motion.

Lower back pain from whiplash can be severe and require careful pain management techniques, including chiropractic care. Because it can lead to chronic pain and movement restrictions, whiplash is a challenging injury that should receive the medical attention it deserves. Then, learn about your legal right to compensation for your whiplash injury.

Your Losses

The losses associated with a whiplash injury that leads to lower back pain can be immense. Back pain can interrupt your ability to do your work (even if you have a desk job), advance your career, and enjoy life. As such, your car accident claim will need to effectively address the losses or legal damages you experience in their entirety. Only compensation that addresses your full range of losses will allow you the financial resources necessary to reach your most complete recovery.

Medical Costs

Whiplash can lead to significant medical expenses that focus on addressing your losses in the range of motion and managing the pain you experience. If your lower back pain becomes chronic, you might need ongoing medical care that can include extensive pain management, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and chiropractic care.

Lost Earnings

Whiplash that leads to back pain can significantly interfere with your ability to do your job, lost hours on the job can lead to reductions in earnings. If your pain is ongoing and interrupts your ability to advance your career, the financial losses will be that much more significant.

Pain and Suffering

The medical community has well established the physical pain associated with whiplash. The challenging nature of these injuries, however, also helps to ensure a strong emotional component. Experiencing this degree of loss due to someone else’s carelessness can be challenging to accept and move beyond. These emotional challenges should receive the attention they deserve, and you should adequately address them in your car accident claim.

What Is the Most Common Cause of Whiplash?

Whiplash injuries that lead to lower back pain often stem from rear-end accidents due to distraction. Distracted driving often means a driver fails to notice what is happening on the road ahead, which leads them to collide with the rear of another vehicle. Even low-speed accidents can lead to severe whiplash injuries, and motorists who allow their attention to be momentarily distracted can cause them.

Distracted driving is a public health problem, considering:

• When motorists focus on anything other than safe driving, they are dangerously distracted.
• Texting is the most dangerous form of driver distraction on our roads.
• Texting melds all three varieties of distraction into one, including distractions that engage one’s hands, eyes, and thoughts.

The most straightforward way to understand the danger of texting behind the wheel is to picture driving blind for the length of a football field while traveling at highway speeds.

This is not something you engage in, and you do not want anyone who shares the road with you to do so either. It takes an average of five seconds to read or write a text, and that’s the amount of time it takes to travel the length of a football field when driving at highway speeds.

Protecting Your Health and Your Claim

The surest path forward toward recovery after a whiplash injury that leads to lower back pain is returning to regular activity as swiftly as you can and to the degree possible. This tends to involve considerable physical therapy and pain management techniques. In fact, recovering from a whiplash injury requires your significant commitment physical exertion and effort to advance beyond the pain.

Three of the primary steps you can take after suffering a whiplash injury that causes back pain include:

• Seek the medical attention you need as soon after the car accident as possible. Remember that whiplash injuries can be slow to present with symptoms, so err on the side of caution by promptly having a doctor check you out.
• Follow your doctor’s orders and advice carefully. This benefits your health and well-being while sending a clear message to the insurance company that you take your injuries as seriously as they should.
• Consult a trusted car accident attorney as soon as possible after the injury-causing car accident. Your attorney will help you make the right decisions that advance your car accident claim.

Reach out to a Dedicated Car Accident Attorney for the Professional Legal Guidance You Need

If another driver’s negligence causes you to suffer a whiplash injury that leads to lower back pain, the sooner you address the matter head-on, the better off you’ll be.

Contact a knowledgeable car accident attorney who understands the challenges you face and have the experience and compassion to help.

The most important thing you can do for yourself is focusing on recovering from your injuries. The best way to do that is to let your lawyer handle your legal battles while you focus on yourself and your recovery.

If you have a whiplash injury that causes lower back pain or any other symptoms and losses, never wait to get the legal help you need.