Most of us are familiar with the type of pain that ensues if we twist an ankle or fall down onto a hard surface. Some of us have even been unfortunate enough to break a bone. The type of pain that we experience with these types of injuries, while not very pleasant, falls under the category of acute pain. It is with us for a short time but fades as the injury heals. We can feel ourselves getting better because our level of pain improves over time.
Chronic Pain Definition
Chronic pain doesn’t work in the same manner as acute pain. It persists long after the original cause of the pain should have healed. The body’s pain signals continue firing in the nervous system for weeks, months or years after an accident, injury or surgery. Some medical conditions cause chronic pain due to damage to the nerves or the central nervous system.
According to Statistics Canada, approximately 1 in 10 Canadians between the ages of 12-44 or 1.5 million people, experience chronic pain. (Not everyone in this group has chronic pain attributable to a personal injury.) The most common types of chronic pain are back problems and migraine headaches.
Chronic Pain Personal Injury
The soft tissues in your body, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves and the discs in your spine can sustain injuries in a car accident, slip and fall, or other event. They may not be as easy for medical personnel to identify as a broken bone, but that doesn’t mean they are not just as serious.
Whiplash is a very common soft tissue injury that can occur during a motor vehicle accident. It can cause damage to the tendons and ligaments of the neck.
When soft tissue injuries don’t heal as expected and turn into chronic pain injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, as well as lost income or earnings, the cost of your medical care and housekeeping costs.
If you have been injured in an accident or as the result of someone else’s negligence, contact one of the experienced personal injury lawyers at Conte Associates by calling 1-877-614-0008. Based in Whitby/Oshawa, Conte & Associates works with clients in Whitby and in the following cities in Ontario: Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Newcastle, Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Port Perry, Belleville, and Peterborough.
