Jeffrey H. Dover
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Atlanta Auto Accident and Medical Malpractice Attorney

The small and spongy discs that are located between the vertebrae in your back are there to keep your spine flexible and to absorb shock.  For most of us, they work very well and hold up to the normal rigors of day-to-day living.  Unfortunately, though, the extreme force associated with vehicle wrecks can lead to damage to the discs in your back.   

When trauma displaces or damages a disc, there is usually motor or sensory dysfunction and pain, especially when the damaged disc is pressing on nerves.  Ruptured or slipped discs (also sometimes referred to as herniated discs) often occur in the lower back but can occur in the neck or upper back as well.  They can be conservatively treated with spinal decompression in many cases. If decompression does not fix the problem, you usually need to have the disc removed, and the joint between the two vertebrae is fused with bone grafts, screws, rods, or pins (spinal fusion).  

Disc rupture symptoms usually correlate with the direction in which the disc is displaced. Those displaced towards the front of the body tend to cause paralysis, those to the back cause sensory deficit or abnormal sensation and those to the side may cause either or both.

If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc following a car wreck, it is critical that you follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor.  Also, if your back injuries occurred as a result of another driver's negligence, be sure to contact an Alpharetta car wreck lawyer to discuss your situation.    

 

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