Can Car Accidents Cause Spondylosis?

“For most people, cervical spondylosis causes no symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they typically include pain and stiffness in the neck.”

After a car accident, this condition you didn’t know you had could put excessive stress on your spine and seriously impact the quality of your life. Out-of-pocket treatment costs will be high, especially since treating spondylosis involves injections, physical therapy, and possibly surgery. However, it shouldn’t be up to you to cover the costs of an illness you never knew you had or never experienced pain from.

What is Spondylosis?

Spondylosis is a broad term that generally refers to osteoarthritis of the spine. When this occurs, intervertebral discs that are composed of cartilage begin to dry out causing discs to slowly disintegrate, thicken, and stiffen. The spine starts to lose cushion, which causes the body to create bone spurs that push on adjacent vertebrae leading to painful symptoms.

Spondylosis can develop throughout different sections in the spine, but the most common is cervical spondylosis, which impacts the neck region. Other areas include:

• Middle of the spine (Thoracic spondylosis)
• Lower back (Lumbar spondylosis)
• More than one part of the spine (Multilevel spondylosis)

The effects of spondylosis are different for every person. Our best car accident lawyers in San Diego say its signs and symptoms depend on how progressed the illness is and other factors like accidents or injuries.

Signs and Symptoms of Spondylosis

Symptoms of spondylosis can be triggered by several things, such as age, sudden movement, or hard labor. Symptoms usually come and go with mild to moderate pain. In extreme cases, symptoms can include:

• Body stiffness
• Grinding feeling when moving
• Weakness in arms, hand, and legs
• Headaches
• Loss of balance or struggling to walk
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Muscle fatigue or spasms

These symptoms can lead to life-altering complications because the spine is one of the main structures in the body that regulates almost any movement a person makes. The dysfunction of the spine can impact productivity, interfering with work, or other activities.

Most Common Causes of Spondylosis

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 85% of people over the age of 60 have been diagnosed with cervical spondylosis; however, some children are born with it, and younger adults may experience lower back pain that can be fixed early on with therapy.

The most common causes of spondylosis include:

• Aging
• Genetics
• Lifestyle (drinking and smoking)
• Abnormal spinal movement/overuse
• Other spinal conditions (bone spurs, dehydrated spinal discs, herniated discs, ligament stiffness, or tumor)
• Injury/trauma

If My Spondylosis Was Pre-Existing, Can I Still Recover Compensation?

If you’re in a car accident and later you discover that you have spondylosis, this shouldn’t affect your car accident claim. Our best car accident lawyers in San Diego say the insurance company of the negligent driver will try to blame any pain you’re experiencing on this pre-existing condition. However, pre-existing conditions can’t block you from receiving compensation.

If your previous medical records show that you did have spondylosis, but you had not reported any difficulties or you did not receive any treatment for it, then you may be able to prove that the car accident trauma caused your condition to worsen. Other spinal issues can stem from car accidents such as the movement of vertebrae out of place or nerve damage which can both potentially trigger the condition.