Soft tissue injuries are often written off because people feel as if there’s nothing that they can really do about it. These injuries are very common as a result of playing sports, from car accidents, and even from falls. Soft tissue damages can include pulled, sprained, or strained muscles.
If you were injured in an accident and suffered soft tissue injuries, you may benefit from the help of a social security disability attorney.
Whiplash and More
Whiplash is common, and it happens not just during car accidents but in football accidents, boxing matches, and more. Whiplash is the sensation experienced when your head has to disrupt its path of travel and jerk in the opposite motion. When whiplash happens in can pull or strain muscles in your neck as well as pull on ligaments and tendons through your shoulders and upper back.
Shoulder Injuries
Repetitive motion is very common and can take a long time to diagnose. Shoulder cuff and similar issues that affect adults who have worked in physically demanding environments can be debilitating. The struggle for many adults who require surgery and then time to recovery is that they can’t miss that much work.
Disability will often only “kick-in” when someone will be unable to work for 12 or more months. That means that it’s unlikely that any surgery will result in more than 12 months spent out of work. But what does that mean for the weeks or few months that you’re unable to work at your job? Families all across the state experience hardships because of these types of injuries, and often, they can take years to regain financial stability.
Difficulty with Diagnosing Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries happen because either the muscle is overused, contusions, strains, or because the muscles moved in a way that they shouldn’t (pulled). These injuries rarely give a physical indicator other than minor swelling or bruising at the site. In some cases, an MRI can help to see what’s going on in the joint or with the tissue.
Usually, sprains and strains don’t call for an MRI unless they’re severe. For example, if something isn’t healing within a reasonable amount of time, the doctor handling the case would then weight the options of the injury being more serious than they previously believed.
When doctors have difficulty managing their diagnosis without imaging techniques, they will often revert to the old PRICE treatment method in an effort to allow the muscle or tissue to heal on its own.
Treatment Limitations
Unfortunately, many doctors take a “rest and relaxation” approach to treating soft tissue injuries. Even worse, many people at home preach the “walk it off” method. In some cases, rest is all it takes to recover, and in other situations, surgery or medical intervention is necessary. However, walking it off hardly ever works.
The usual treatment is the PRICE method in that they prescribe protection (usually a splint), rest, ice, compression, and elevation. The protection is compulsory in that it doesn’t always do something, and they don’t always suggest a splint or a brace. Not because they could cause more harm than good, which is a common misconception. But, because a splint or brace usually isn’t necessary.
There’s been some talk about over-the-counter braces causing more damage in the effort to get people to consult with their doctors first. Of course, wearing an over-the-counter brace or splint comes with the risk of using it incorrectly.
Many doctors will look at your sports or choices as a direct reason for your injuries, and if that’s the case, then you may not get much sympathy from them. A less than sympathetic doctor may send you back to work before you’re actually ready or not suggest the treatment necessary because they address the pain or suffering as your own fault.
Other limitations fall in the line of prevention in that many doctors inform their patients too late that they should have stretched, been more careful, or had proper support. Prevention is the best method for handling soft tissue images, but it’s impossible to say that every injury was preventable.
Taking Legal Action for Your Soft Tissue Injuries with a Social Security Disability Attorney
Tabak Law helps the people who are trying to recover from their injuries through case planning. We work with your injuries, your medical team, and your plan for recovery. We want to help you recover all of your financial losses and help you get off on the right foot when you’ve made a substantial recovery. Soft tissue injuries can be very severe, and many times people have trouble staying financially stable during their recovery.
Work with our social security disability law office now and getting the support necessary to fight your case.