According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005, lower back injuries were the leading
occupational injury in the United States. It is estimated that over 140 million days are lost to work because of back pain.

According to the American Chronic Pain Association, the annual total cost for back pain is estimated at over $100 billion a year. Approximately 31,000 lumbar surgeries are performed each year, exceeding $8.6 billion surgery costs annually.

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If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident resulting in back injury and pain, be sure to contact an experienced Back Injury Attorney.

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It is important for doctors to note, and trial lawyers to point out, which medications are being prescribed specifically for pain due to an injury from the accident, rather than prior diagnosis of depression. Otherwise, it is too easy for defense lawyers, insurance agents, and jurors to identify the treatment with a prior existing condition of depression rather than pain due to a new injury.

There are many types of antidepressant medications that help people with persistent pain (from accident related migraines, headaches, brain injuries, back injuries, RSD, etc.) feel better and function better such as Tricyclic Antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Imipramine, Doxipine) and Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors (Paxil, Effexor, Prozac).

A patient’s doctor can help determine the best type of anti-depressant to help treat the pain and limit side effects. In trial, the individual’s  lawyer should highlight the reason that the medication is being prescribed, either for depression, pain, or both.

For more on Post Traumatic Migraines, Post Traumatic Headaches, or Back Injuries.

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Then I learned of how she met her lawyer. Shortly after her car accident, she received a call from a chiropractor offering her a “Free Initial Examination.” She was in pain and it sounded too good to be true, so she went in for a visit.

She agreed to go in for her free appointment. The chiropractor seemed nice enough. Then, in the middle of the first treatment session, the chiropractor asked her if she had a lawyer yet. When she answered “no,” the chiropractor insisted that she meet his friend, the lawyer, who just happened to be in the neighborhood and would be stopping by as soon as her session ended.

Apparently, the chiropractor and the lawyer had a secret agreement and since the lawyer couldn’t call the lady directly without risking being disbarred, he had the chiropractor do his soliciting for him.

For more helpful tips order your Free Consumer Guide: Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer

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The description below is written by the publisher Chronic Stimulation, LLC :

Chronic Pain is one of the most pervasive and most costly diseases in the World. Millions of people suffer with chronic pain and its insidious symptoms. For sufferers, it is critical to their medical care that they can effectively communicate the nature of their pain to their doctors. This is a difficult challenge since pain is one of the most subjective and personal experiences humans face.

Chronic Pain Tracker has been designed to improve the Patient-to-Doctor exchange of pain information. Using Pain Tracker, the patient can monitor three key pain metrics: pain intensity, location, and description. Sufferers of Chronic Pain know that each of these metrics can change day to day, or even hour to hour. This can make diagnosis and treatment of pain symptoms more challenging since patients most commonly describe their pain based on their most recent experience rather than using an evaluative process to statistically describe the typical pain symptoms being experienced.

Capturing Pain Data

With Chronic Pain Tracker, the user regularly makes a Pain Entry in the application. Depending on their needs/preferences, this may be once a day, or once every few hours. The entry process is designed to be intuitive and quick, while still capturing the necessary details about their pain. The following data points are captured for each entry:
Timestamp – this date/time marker is automatically generated by the application with no user interaction required.
Pain Level – using the familiar visual pain scale, the user selects their current pain level from 0 to 10
Pain Location – simply tapping on the body sections defines where the pain is being felt
Pain Descriptions – the user can select one or more adjectives in the table that best define the pain they are feeling
General Comments – the user has the option to provide any other details/information desired for the entry

Chronic Pain Tracker Lite is capable of tracking a maximum of 10 pain entries. This would, for example, provide 1.5 weeks worth of daily entries. Download the full Chronic Pain Tracker version for unlimited database entries.

Pain Analysis & Summary

With Pain Tracker, a user can automatically consolidate pain entries for a given time period and statistically analyze those entries. The application includes a series of pre-define reports such as “Last 7 days”, “Last 30 days”, etc. but also allows the user to define their own start and end dates for the analysis.

For more information on Chronic Pain Injuries.

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1. Always use the word “new.” “…following the accident, I have a constant new pain…” A description of new pain since the accident, will usually lead the doctor to only one conclusion. The accident caused the new pain.
2. Pinpoint the location. “….at the base of my skull.…” The more precise you can be, the easier it will be for your doctor to make a diagnosis. Describing the exact location can also let your doctor know if it is time to refer to you a specialist.
3. Use strong adjectives. “….a stabbing pain…” The use of strong adjectives by a patient usually ends up in the medical records, which can be of great assistance later on.
4. Rate your symptoms. “…maybe a 6 out of 10…” This provides the doctor with some idea as to the severity of your pain. Later it can be used to determine improvement with treatment, i.e. a decrease in pain from a 9 to a 1 would show improvement.
5. Tell your doctor things you cannot do. If you “can’t lift your child” or you “can’t concentrate at work,” this informs your doctor that your injuries are affecting your life.

For more personal injury advise, order your free copy of the Wisconsin Personal Injury Claims Book.

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