Car accident

[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.

[missdior]

Thank you guys so much for responding to my post. I don't feel so alone anymore. I cried today because I am staying with family right now, and they don't understand. Just the slightest movements can make my eyes water, and I'm constant;y beng told that I am just being lazy, or this r that. I don't have much of a choice about moving being I can't work right now, so I kinda just deal with it.

But I did ask my P dr to refer me to a neurologist. The sharp pains in my shoulders and hips and everywhere are just too much at times. Sometimes it hurts just to type. But I am so glad that there are people here that I can talk to about this:)

[Tuckamore]

Hello Missdior,

Welcome to the Pain Mangement Forum. I am glad that you found us and took the time to post. I've been in a serious MVA and my heart goes out to you.  I am very sorry that you are experiencing such painful symptoms.

With all due respect I would hope that you have a good PCP that is coordination your medical care and needs rather than an attorney.  Attorneys are good at what they do but in my opinion managing your medical care is not one of them. Just as I would not allow my physician to manage my legal issues I would not allow my attorney to manage my medical issues.

The chiropractor may have done more harm than good. You may a wise decision by releasing his services. I have seen chiropractors do great things in some instances. Indeed I have consulted them in the past.

Again in my opinion, until all your injuries are diagnosed you may want to have a PCP investigating you reasons for pain. He may refer you to neurologists and orthopedics physicians. You may need some good diagnostic testing to determine the extent of your injuries. Once you know what has actually been injured you can seek treatments.

A head on collision at 55 mph certainly may have caused more injuries than were first apparent, especially given your airbags did not deploy. It must have been a terribly frightening experience. You have my empathy.

It maybe to early to accept that you have pain and disabilities and only be under the care of a PMP.  Please be assertive and seek remedies to your very painful symptoms.

I hope that you will keep in touch with us. Our members are supportive and informational. We will look forward to hearing from you soon. Please feel free to post any questions you might have, we'll do our best to respond with information.

I'll be thinking of you and wishing you the very best.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[bex57]

Hi there,
I am sorry to hear about your car accident. I too, was involved in a car accident that has caused me to live in pain, unfortunately though there aren't as many "clear answers" to my pain as I would like. I have had an attorney since day 1 of the accident, and I can definitely say that mine has been one of my advocates to get me the best treatment. When I felt that traditional treatment wasn't working, after he spoke to my doctors, I was allowed to pursue other treatment options.

I personally am under the care of many doctors. I can only suggest that you ask people around you for referrals for the best doctors or call a local hospital or even ask another doctor who they would send their family members to in this situation. I see a neurologist, PCP, PMP, Chiropractor, Physical Therapist, Massage Therapist, Psychotherapist, and... well I think that's about it :) Have you been consulting with a primary care doctor? My attorney had me do that first thing just to make things easier with insurance. If you or the attorney are dealing with insurance companies, they give a big run around and there are procedures that have to be followed by us patients to receive the benefits of our insurance benefits. I get really frustrated with this especially because I would like to change one of my doctor's and can't.

Many of us here understand your frustration about not being able to work and do what you could do. I am still in that phase, especially because I can't find a dosage of my pain medicine that works for my pain and doesn't offer major side effects that I can't live with.

I have experienced some of that feeling of blanking out and I have chronic migranes as well now from my accident.  My neurologist diagnosed me with Post Concussive Syndrome due to my car flipping multiple times at high speeds and hitting my head on the window. I highly suggest trying to find a neurologist who specializes in this type of treatment with nerves and head issues. Having specialists I have found are very beneficial when you have many different types of physical issues.

Please know that this may be a long process. I get down and have bad days and if it helps, there are many of us in the same boat. I only post here now and then but I follow it and check up and see whats going on around here, especially when I'm having a really bad pain day, like today.

[JadedSweetheart]

I used to work for a PI atty.  They will make sure you get the care you need, but I have noticed they like to use chiros.  I've found PT to be more helpful, it's gentler and like Kat said, sometimes chiro can do more harm than good.  
I also agree that you could probably find more answers in an Ortho specialist or Neurologist/Neurosurgeon.  
I hope you find someone and start feeling better soon!

[runitskat]

Good thing you fired him. You should not see a chiropractor until you've seen a doctor and have a diagnosis. They can actually do more harm than good with spinal injuries. And pain managment is for people who's injuries cannot be corrected or for pain control to hold off surgery. They cannot fix the pain they can only manage it and at this point you don't even know what is wrong and if it can be fixed. If you have a primary doctor I would start there. They can tell you what's wrong and refer you to a specialist.

[missdior]

No, Pain management was the only dr. I was sent to besides the chiropractor. Everyone was shocked with the bruising on my back, as it started 3 weeks after my accident, and is still bruising some. I'm talking black and blue bruising larger than the size of a grapefruit. No one could explain what was happening to me. I did ask about physical therapy, but was told I didn't need it. I fired my attorney last week, and hired a new one who is an injury attorney, so I pray that he gets me to the right people. I just don't know what to expect, and if this is something I may deal with for the rest of my life.

[runitskat]

Did you go see a doctor besides the ER doctor? I would go see a doctor who could refer you to a neurosurgeon to find out if you need surgery. I'm surprised they put you in pain management before even trying to fix your problems. Have you gone to physical therapy or anything like that? It sounds like you need to be seen by a specialist and not a pain management doctor. PM is not going to fix your internal injuries.