When you suffer an injury in an accident — be it a car crash, a fall, or a workplace incident — your legs can often take the brunt of the pain. The lower parts of our bodies have many muscles, bones, and joints, which work together to support standing and other bodily functions. When those body parts suffer an impact in an accident, it can have a ripple effect of pain throughout our physique. You may experience mild symptoms right after the accident but have a shooting or sharp pain in the days after that, which can signify something more serious.
If you experience pain in the legs, reach out to a pain management physician for diagnosis and treatment. At Tri County Pain Management, our doctors specialize in treating painful conditions from auto and work accidents and can help set you on the road to recovery.
Following are some of the common causes of leg pain in accidents.
Injuries to tendons or ligaments
The legs, hips, knees and ankles are surrounded by a significant amount of “soft tissue” — cartilage, tendons, and ligaments, and these can be injured easily in a car crash. Your muscles may tear, sprain, or strain from the impact of an accident, or you could experience swelling, stiffness, or weakness in the joints.
Some of the more painful injuries can involve a torn meniscus, which is cartilage around the knee, or the ACL, a ligament between the shin and thigh. These types of accident injuries can make it difficult to stand, walk, or move your lower body properly.
Breaking a bone
There are dozens of bones in the lower torso and a car or work accident can cause cracks and breaks in the feet, legs, or hips. Sometimes you won’t know if something shattered right away, so you should always get checked out after any accident.
Accident victims can mistake a broken bone for a less severe injury and try to “work through it,” hoping it will heal. But the fact is that many fractures — even small ones — can become bigger problems later, and significant bone breaks can cause lifelong complications. If you have pain after a crash, get it diagnosed.
Herniated discs, nerve problems, or dislocated bones
The blunt force of a car accident can really do a number on the discs in your back and the surrounding region, and can cause severe nerve issues or painful dislocations.
The crash can cause your back disks to rupture and press on your spine, leading to shooting pain or numbness in the legs. Pain doctors can diagnose the source and severity of the injury and develop a treatment plan.
Auto wrecks can also cause dislocated hips, knees, or shoulders, making moving those joints very difficult. If not treated, they can lead to tissue damage and future problems.
There are many other types of leg pain that accidents cause, but these are some of the most common. The bottom line is that you should have any leg injury — regardless of the cause — examined by a doctor soon after an injury. Please don’t delay because it can make things worse, and minor pain may signify something more severe.
Pain management doctors should be involved in the long-term treatment plan to bring their unique expertise to your recovery. Our focus is on helping people recover from accidents to be able to resume a pain-free routine.
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