An injury to the cervical spine can cause serious problems as most nerves to the rest of the body have to pass through the neck.
The lumbar spine consists of five bones or vertebrae in the lower back region, although some people actually have six vertebrae.
A back injury to the lumbar spine is common and can result from
car accidents, sports injuries, workplace injuries, falls, and violence.
In the low back region, the most serious injuries involve fractures of the spine or disc herniations. Many of these can be treated without surgery, however, if your spine is not stable, if it collapses or if there is nerve damage, surgery may be necessary.
Surgery is performed for a number of reasons, but typically it's meant to take the pressure off the nerves and provide stability. When all necessary conservative steps have been taken without relief from pain, your doctor may recommend for your back injury, a fusion surgery. A spinal fusion is when screws and rods are used to hold the spine back together. Bone grafts are used to allow the patient's bones to heal together.
Whiplash is the most common neck injury after a car accident. Whiplash causes the neck to snap and become overextended.
We understand you may have questions about your spinal injury. We have provided the answers to some commonly asked questions.