Question
hi i had a car accident on jyly 24 07 and right after the accident my neck got stiff and all but the thing that bothers me is that 2 days after the accident my lower right lumbar was swollen which stops me from bending and doing my regular routines of work(car wash and detailling)now the thing is i have been home since july 30th because after a few mouvements here and there my lumbar swells up and i feel a bulge in my back and i have to either lay down or take tylenols for the pain we are now august 15th and i am still having the pain and the swelling, my family doctor told me to take off till the 20 and with some rest it should be ok but as the days go by i dont feel a change at all xrays were taken but no results yet do u think that this swelling of my lumbar is dangerous or that i can be permantely injured ?

Answer
Dear Tino,

The first thing you need to do is get to a specialist who understands the unique injuries created by auto trauma. The fact that your doctor just told you to go home and rest proves that he doesn't understand musculoskeletal injuries...all of the literature says that you should rest no more than two days and that early and controlled movement of the injured tissue is the best initial treatment.  You need active rehab protocols, and you may need an MRI as well to document what id going on with the disks and ligaments of the low back...even though your pain and swelling is at the surface (in the muscle tissue), the underlying structures can be significantly injured and the muscle system is trying to compensate.  This should be looked into further.  

Also why were x-rays taken without the ability for you to get results?  I can read the x-rays I take in my office and generate a report, within 10 minutes of the films being taken and processed. If your doctor says that he is waiting for the radiologist to "read' the films, that is ridiculous...We often have to send patients for an MRI, but the radiologists always have a report to us by the next day. The ultimate answer is that yeas, this condition could be permanent, and needs to be addressed now, while the injury is new and will respond best to treatment.

I would suggest that you have the area completely re-examined to include orthopedic and neurological testing, and that you specifically have it examined by a soft tissue trauma expert..usually chiropractic physicians, but some medical physician have completed this training.  One with training in the effects of acceleration injuries that are produced in auto crashes.  To find a qualified physician and more information, check out the Spine Research Institute of San Diego's website: www.srisd.com.

Good Luck Tino.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net