After a workplace injury, you may experience long-lasting pain that limits your ability to work. Severe back pain or neck pain can leave you unable to work or even perform simple daily activities. At Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A., we understand the challenges injured workers face when they are coping with chronic pain caused by workplace accidents. Our North Carolina workers’ compensation attorneys have two decades of experience helping injured employees seek the benefits and treatment they need after workplace injuries.
It’s not uncommon for employers and workers’ compensation insurance companies to question chronic pain claims. Our experienced attorneys fight to help injured workers obtain proper medical treatment and all the workers’ compensation benefits available for chronic pain related to a work injury. Call us today at 919-661-9000 for a free consultation with a North Carolina workers’ compensation chronic pain attorney.
What Is Chronic Pain and How Does It Occur?
Chronic pain differs from the temporary discomfort of most workplace injuries. While acute pain typically goes away as an injury heals, chronic pain persists for months or longer after the initial trauma. Medical experts generally define chronic pain as pain that lasts longer than three months beyond standard healing time. Around 100 million people suffer from chronic pain in the United States alone.
If you were injured on the job and have developed persistent pain, you should be eligible for medical care through workers’ comp insurance until the doctor has determined you have reached maximum medical improvement and released you from care.
Types of Work-Related Chronic Pain
Following a work-related injury, chronic pain can develop through several mechanisms:
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS): This condition causes intense, continuous pain that may spread beyond the original injury site. Complex regional pain syndrome often develops after injuries to soft tissues or major nerves.
- Neuropathic pain: When workplace accidents damage nerves, it can lead to burning, shooting, or stabbing sensations that become chronic. This commonly occurs in the back, neck, and extremities.
- Myofascial pain: This involves ongoing muscle pain, often stemming from workplace strain or repetitive motion injuries. It can create painful trigger points that refer pain to other body areas.
- Post-surgical pain: Some injured workers develop chronic pain following surgeries for work-related injuries, even after the surgical site has healed. This can happen with procedures like spinal fusions or joint repairs.
You may be eligible for workers’ compensation disability compensation if your medical records show that your chronic pain developed or worsened after a workplace injury.
The Hidden Effects of Chronic Pain
Recent medical research has shown that chronic pain can profoundly affect every aspect of a person’s life:
- Emotional health: Many people with chronic pain experience depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. The constant presence of pain can lead to emotional exhaustion and mood changes.
- Sleep disruption: Chronic pain frequently interferes with sleep, creating a problematic cycle where lack of rest makes pain more challenging to manage.
- Cognitive effects: Some people experience difficulty concentrating or memory problems, sometimes called “pain brain,” which can affect work performance.
- Psychological factors: The stress of managing persistent pain can lead to heightened anxiety about pain worsening, depression from activity limitations, and worry about financial security and job stability.
The Science Behind Chronic Pain
Chronic pain conditions often involve complex changes in how the nervous system processes pain signals. This helps explain why the pain persists even after visible injuries have healed. The ongoing pain can lead to reduced mobility, difficulty sleeping, depression, and other complications that affect your ability to work.
Our compassionate workers’ compensation lawyers at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks can review your situation and discuss your eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits.