Personal Injury Medical Terms
The personal injury lawsuit process can be intimidating, especially for those who don’t have a medical background or who aren’t familiar with personal injury medical terms. To help you become more familiar with some of the important medical terms and phrases you might come across as you go through the personal injury lawsuit process, we’ve come up with a helpful list. Here are some personal injury medical terms you should know.
Whiplash. Whiplash is an injury that often arises in automobile crashes, slip-and-fall accidents, and other situations where a person’s head or body makes sudden movements. Whiplash can result in damage to your neck muscles, ligaments, or other soft tissues because the motion of your head pushes them beyond their normal limits. Whiplash injuries can be relatively minor, causing little more than slight pain or discomfort for a matter of days, or can be rather severe, resulting in long-lasting, and even permanent pain or damage. Visit this website
Herniated Disk. Another common injury associated with car accidents, slip-and-fall cases, and other personal injury situations, a herniated disk occurs when the cushion-like tissue area between spinal bones becomes damaged. Some, but not all, herniated disks can be very painful and can cause numbness or weakness. Some herniated disk injuries can require surgery, but most don’t. In fact, some herniated disk injuries are not even noticeable by those who suffer them.
Soft Tissues. Soft tissue is a kind of umbrella term that applies to many different parts of the body. Soft tissue is one that covers, connects, or helps move other body parts. For example, muscles are a type of soft tissue because they are responsible for moving limbs. Nerves, tendons, ligaments, and even body fat are also considered soft tissues. Soft tissue injuries can be minor or very painful but are typically not permanent.
Dislocation. A dislocation occurs when bones become misaligned, though not necessarily damaged, and are no longer where they should be. People who fall, are involved in car crashes or are hurt playing sports commonly suffer dislocation injuries. Shoulder dislocations are the most common and can be very painful.
Fracture. A fracture is a broken bone. Bones break or fracture when they can no longer withstand the forces applied to them. Fractures can be either complete or partial and can result from seemingly minor injuries. Some fractures can require hospitalization and surgery, though most do not.
Spinal Column. The spinal column is the medical name for your backbone. It’s a collection of bones, called vertebrae, that are stacked on top of one another and connected by various soft tissues. The vertebrae bones have holes in the center, allowing the spinal cord to pass through them. More here
Spinal Cord. The spinal cord is the bundle of nerves the spinal column protects. When someone suffers a spinal cord injury, that person can experience a wide range of very serious symptoms, including loss of sensation, changes in physical strength, paralysis, and death.
