Sometimes injuries look worse than they feel. Your coworker might come to work with his arm covered in scrapes and bruises after falling off of his bike over the weekend, but he might truthfully insist that he feels fine. On the other hand, some injuries feel much worse than they look. For example, whiplash injury can cause chronic neck pain, but not only can you not tell that someone has whiplash by looking at them, you also cannot see it on an X-ray or MRI. It can be a challenge to get your employer, your doctors, your family, or an insurance company to believe you about how much pain you are in when you do not have a gruesome looking wound to brandish in front of them. If chronic pain from complex regional pain syndrome or another painful condition resulting from an accidental injury is preventing you from working, but the insurance companies refuse to listen to your story, contact a Clintwood personal injury lawyer.
When Injured Body Parts Have a Mind of Their Own
A diagnosis of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) applies when a patient suffers pain in an injured body part that is disproportionate to the traumatic injury that originally caused the pain. It occurs when a nerve in the arm, leg, hand, or foot gets damaged as a result of a sprain or bone fracture. If you have CRPS, the pain continues or gets worse even as the affected bones, ligaments, and muscles heal. In addition to pain, you might also feel numbness or tingling in the affected body part. The color, texture, temperature, sweat production, and hair and nail growth of the affected area also might be different from other parts of the body.
Living With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Most people make a full recovery from CRPS, especially if they do not have any underlying chronic illnesses. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it, and you just have to focus on managing the symptoms until the nerves heal. The good news is that CRPS rarely requires surgery or hospital stays. Instead, your doctor may recommend physical therapy to avoid loss of function of the affected body parts. Some patients can manage their pain with over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. In severe cases, your doctor might prescribe steroids to lessen swelling or gabapentin to control the nerve pain.
If the injury that caused the CRPS was the result of a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation for the medical bills associated with CRPS treatment. A personal injury lawyer can help you negotiate with insurance companies for an adequate settlement or even file a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC About Chronic Pain Resulting From Accidental Injuries
The lawyers at Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC serve the southwestern Virginia community in personal injury cases and other areas of the law. Contact Greg Baker Attorneys at Law PLLC in Clintwood, Virginia to set up a consultation.
Sources
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/complex-regional-pain-syndrome