Old Injuries New Pain

Old Injuries, New Pain

Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) can stir up problems you may have long forgotten. At one of the highest rated car accident medical care facilities, Chambers Medical Group of Kentucky, we frequently see patients suffering from severe pain in areas that have not bothered them for years. A new trauma can flip the switch for pain in these areas. About 1 in 5 U.S. adults deal with some form of arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in October 2023, “Prevalence of Diagnosed Arthritis -United States.”  As time goes on, degenerative diseases can also contribute to increased pain with new injuries. Dr. Aaron Workman of Chambers Medical Group explains why old injuries can complicate new ones and how this impacts treatment expectations.

Dormant Problems
Old injuries like a twisted ankle, knees that have experienced a myriad of sports, or the neck jolt from an MVA you experienced as a child, can leave you with damaged structures. Scar tissue stiffens over time, and joint wear increases as the cartilage naturally wears with age. Bones can take on new shapes due to years of trauma. You may go decades without noticing an issue until an MVA changes everything. I have a patient that suffered an old knee injury years ago, had a partial knee replacement and has been doing well. Following an MVA, he now faces a complete knee replacement due to the complications from the old injury.

The Trigger
The force of impact from an MVA has no sympathy on past trauma. It sends forces throughout the body that targets old wounds. Whiplash can affect years of neck degeneration and cause more irritation to all the nerves surrounding. A seatbelt yank can damage the shoulder you dislocated 20 years ago, leaving problems that will never be resolved. A foot vigorously pushed on the brake pedal can affect old ankle sprains you had not felt since high school basketball. Most MVA problems will recover to a point with time, but new traumas add to the degenerative conditions making daily activities of life impossible.

Why It Hurts Worse Now
Healing is more complicated as you age. It just takes longer and is less complete. Old injuries lose padding as cartilage thins. Muscles weaken from too much sitting. Arthritis or degeneration goes unnoticed until the next accident. The guy with previous knee surgery may never be able to walk without a limp again as he is now older and will not heal the same. Studies show close to 1 billion people will face osteoarthritis by 2050 as noted by The Lancet in March 2023, “New study reveals osteoarthritis affects 15 percent globally over 30.” That is a large complicating factor when you endure an MVA.

Old pain plus a new crash can derail you fast. The best action to take is having it checked early. Every trauma adds one weakness on top of another if not addressed. It can linger for months, turn into more advanced problems, and may stay a lifetime. At Chambers Medical Group, one of our goals is to dig deep and ask questions to get to the information we need. Reviewing your medical history and your findings from previous radiology can all help determine how complicated your issue is. If you find your old forgotten injuries hurting following an MVA then the doctors at Chambers Medical Group can help.

— This article is written by Aaron Workman, DC, one of the members of Chambers Medical Group’s team of car accident chiropractors who offer a variety of treatments and therapies ranging from diagnostic testing to various soft tissue therapies for car accidents and injuries in Kentucky.

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