Chronic Pain

A car accident can cause a variety of injuries that necessitate medical attention. Whiplash is a common multifactorial injury sustained in a car accident. The soft tissue of the neck joints can be traumatized when your head and neck are forcefully jerked forward and back (or side to side) by the sudden impact of a car accident. These injuries can affect muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and disc tissue throughout the spine. Furthermore, research has shown that sustaining a concussion with any whiplash injury is extremely common. Victims of car accidents may experience widespread chronic pain in the weeks following the accident. It can be difficult to piece together all of the potential injuries, and it is often necessary to seek the assistance of a physical therapist to avoid and/or resolve all of the injuries you sustained from a single event.

Any workplace accident or injury can result in chronic pain. According to research, the longer employees are out of work, the less likely they are to return. The psychological toll of dealing with the injury, the impact on your financial well-being, the employer’s expectations, and dealing with insurance companies can all make things feel overwhelming. Our physical therapist at Sterling Physical Therapy & Wellness treats you as a whole person. We understand the stress you’re under and how important it is for your health and well-being to regain physical function.

Improper nutrition, particularly processed foods and foods high in sugar, increases the likelihood of systemic inflammation and has been linked to increased pain levels and longer-lasting pain. Sedentary lifestyles lead to limitations and medical conditions associated with chronic pain. You are more likely to experience chronic pain if you smoke and drink alcohol. Prolonged postures and repetitive activities with poor body mechanics can also lead to chronic inflammation and pain because you are more likely to injure your joints and muscles. When a part of your body is injured or painful, the muscles and joints around the injury site will naturally support and take over responsibility for a specific activity. Because your muscles or joints are not functioning properly, these compensatory patterns can put strain on other parts of your body. These compensations are valuable in the short term for staying active. When they last for an extended period of time, you are more likely to develop painful patterns that can lead to chronic pain.

Chronic pain can be caused by a variety of diseases, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, shingles, and diabetic neuropathy. The precise mechanisms are difficult to understand or identify, but they most likely involve neurological dysfunction.