I hurt all over from car accident almost two months ago

[missdior]

I got into a car accident on June 10th, 2010. I hot head on at 50-55mph. My airbags never deployed and my head hit the steering wheel.

The er dr. told me I had upper back and neck strains. Next morning my whole body hurt, but mainly my lower back and upper neck around c1-c3. My attorney sent me to a chiropractor who suggested spinal adjustments and 10 minutes 3x a week with the tens unit. He told me that c1 & c2 were pinching a nerve that comes over the head into the forehead, and that I have a birth defect where l5 is fused to the tailbone. Also that I had soft tissue damage in my mis back, and that l3 & l4 took a hard hit.

Anyway, 3 weeks after my accident, I started bruising on my lower right side of my back. I was sent to pain management. They ordered a ct scan. I was told that I had muscle tears and ligament tears. My lower back and hip hurt so much at times now, and my neck as well. I sometimes have pain that radiates from my shoulder to my wrists, and sometimes just my joints in my fingers hurt. I also have radiating pain from my hip down to my knees and sometimes down to my ankles. Sometimes I hurt in the front hip/pelvic area. Lately I have also had pain in my left sidejust under my ribs. The headaches are everyday. Almost migraine status. IDK what to do anymore. I stopped going to the chiropractor, bc I hurt more after the adjustments than I did before the adjustments. I even have memory issues now, and get confused easily. Sometimes I will blank out in the middle of a sentence. I feel so stupid when that happens.

I am only 28 years old, and don't want to live the rest of my life feeling like this. I'm not suicidal, so please don't take it that way. I just don't know what to do anymore, and don't know if maybe I have nerve damage, or a nerve injury? Does anyone have any advice? I am a makeup artist, and use both hands for work, and do a lot of bending, twisting, etc. when working shows or shoots. I have not been to work since the accident, and want to go back to work asap. But I can't do makeup if my hand is shaking from a spasm, or my fingers hurt too band to use a makeup brush properly. I cry a lot lately, bc I hurt, and I feel like I am missing out on so much.I miss how my life was pre accident. If anyone has any advice, that would be great. I can't seem to get answers from my dr. about the radiating pain, and don't know where to go from here.

[mylittlered1]

I was recently in an accident about a month and a half ago, i am having similar issues, my entire lowest back and spine area Is a splotchy bruise,  the pain isn't the worst in the world's but even with all the meds I'm on I'm in content pain and it really wears on you.I'm hoping to get a referral to an ortho our a neurologist today, My work temp laid me of so i can not even work right now, i hope there is light addy the web's loud the tunnel, how are you doing now?

[missdior]

I definitely will. I called my pain management dr. today, and unfortunately they were closed, but  I was able to talk to the secretary. She is supposed to relay the msg to the nurse. I am also demanding some type of imaging for my hand I think. OMG, My joints in my fingers even hurt. Again, I am only 28. The chiropractor called today. I didn't even answer, and I am not going to call back. I know I feel even worse than I did when I was going to him, but I don't want to take chances. Like right now, I am having a pain in my side that I have been having since the accident. It is off and on, but it is on the left side, and about 2-3 inches above my hip bone. It's more of a dull ache I guess, but I feel it when I inhale. I gotta get things done. I'll never give up on hope. I couldn't deal with this forever. Somethng has to give in this situation...

[caregiver222]

First of all you should not be going to a chiropractor.

Your case will go to court and chiropracters are not considered expert witnesses. I cannot understand why you were referred to one. Your problems are above his pay grade.

In an auto accident virtually and reasonable medical bills are reimbursed, so it is silly not to get the best care.

Secondly, a CT scan is inappropriate. Unnecessary radiation for a female and the information gleaned is not as good as that from an MRI.

You need a 3T MRI. Not a 1T. Insist on it. And you need one of the entire spine. Cervical, thoracis and lumbar.

Your medical situation seems to have been mishandled from square one.

Don't give up hope.

Bruises and trauma take a long time to heal.

Your attorney has nothing to do with your medical choices.

Post and state what the neurologist says.

[missdior]

Thank you so much for the advice. You know, I didn't know how to go about things after the accident, so I hired an attorney, who then sent me to a chiropractor. The chiropractor made everything I was feeling seem normal. When the bruising started, the chiropractor was confused. Couldn't explain it. Finally, my attorney sent me to pain management who sent me for a ct scan and said that the bruising was from torn muscles, ligaments, etc. At first he was worried abotu a bruised spleen, etc. Anyway, I just called my pain management dr, and left a message to see about getting a referral to a neurologist. I just hired a new attorney on friday, so hopefully they will move quickly.Again, thank you so much for the advice!

[ggreg]

I need to add that if you are already seeing a neuro, then seek out another one.  Also, the bruising you have is a sure-fire indicator that things are most definitely seriously wrong in your lower back.  I had that bruising when I tore up my lower spine, it's all out of alignment.  Your C spine injuries are what's causing your hands not to work right, and if you don't get relief from that pinched nerve, you could wind up with nerve damage, but you're still close enough to the original accident that likely moderate treatments (rather than surgery) will release that nerve and you'll make out okay.  And whatever drugs the pain clinic is giving you AIN'T enough.  They need to try different things to kill that pain.  Sorry I didn't put all this before, but when I re-read your post, you said you were seeing a doc, and I thought it might not be enough to tell you to see a neuro.  I just figured you'd go to one and he'd tell you what I'm telling you.

[ggreg]

First of all, you MUST get a referral to a neurologist.  He will order scans of your spine and head, which he will find MUCH more detail concerning the seriousness of your injuries, and he will give you good pain medicines, and he will order perhaps bedrest for a while, then some mild physical therapy, and so on and so forth.  The ER just makes sure you aren't bleeding and can breathe and walk, and they assume you will get followup done with a specialist at your earliest convenience.  

Your back sounds a total wreck, and I do not like the idea that you're up and working, whilst going thru tremendous pain.  Me, when I was a young woman in a car wreck and broke my back in three places, I had to lay flat for two months in the hospital until it healed, and even then I had to wear a titanium and leather back brace for six months, gradually worked in physical therapy, and was on plenty of good medicines.  And I saw a top doc in followup, and he was disturbed by my condition.  So, too, should you be watched over by a doctor who can evaluate the TRUE extent of your injuries and will know precisely what treatments to offer, to make you feel worlds better.