Back pain is one of the most common causes of absenteeism in the UK.

Thankfully most back injuries do not give rise to long term problems and as with other musculoskeletal disorders a good recovery can be achieved with appropriate medical treatment. This will often involve a combination of painkilling medication and physiotherapy.

Unfortunately this is not the case with serious back injuries such as fractures, prolapsed discs or nerve root entrapment. Such conditions can not only lead to significant pain and limitation of movement within the back but also pain in the arms or legs which can cause considerable discomfort.

A disc prolapse occurs when the disc bulges or ruptures. This in itself can cause pain and stiffness but the disc can also press on the nerves passing through the spinal cord and in to the spinal canal giving rise to significant symptoms of pain, numbness and pins and needles down the limbs. The disc can sometimes be manipulated by physiotherapy treatment in order to relieve these symptoms but in more serious cases operative treatment will be required. This may relieve the pressure on the nerves and reduce pain significantly although it may result in increased stiffness in the spine. This in turn may restrict future activities.

A fracture in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine can cause serious and permanent disability or even death where the spinal cord is damaged.

Should you suffer a spinal injury it is most important that you receive early medical treatment and rehabilitation as this can greatly improve the prospects of a reasonable recovery and ultimately enhance your quality of life. Where significant symptoms remain however a rehabilitation expert may be able to identify steps which can be taken to promote greater independence and to ensure that appropriate equipment is provided should this be necessary.

Long term back pain is regarded as a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act. As a consequence your employer would be obliged to consider reasonable adjustments to your work; or take reasonable steps to find redeployment where you could not return to your pre-accident occupation. Should you lose your job as a result of continuing disability an employment rehabilitation expert may be instructed to identify what jobs may be suitable and to facilitate any retraining that would be required. In addition any loss of earnings would be recovered as part of the personal injury compensation claim.

At Sintons our specialist personal injury solicitors have a wealth of experience in pursuing successful compensation claims arising from serious spinal injuries.

All personal injury claims are pursued on a No Win No Fee basis so you can rest assured that there is no financial risk.

To begin a personal injury compensation claim or obtain further advice with no obligation contact Sintons 24/7.