by LaDonna Hatfield

Created on: December 01, 2008   Last Updated: December 09, 2008

You've had an accident, made the trip to the hospital emergency room for a once over, and you give thanks that it wasn't any worse. A few weeks later, you find that your ankle still hurts and doesn't behave exactly the way you want it to. Your knee still hurts from being jammed into the front console, and the pain is worse when it's cold outside or it's raining or both. Since you were thrown forward and at an angle, that little wrench your back is still a bit bothersome, too. The X-Rays didn't show anything to be way out of whack, so why is your body turning on you like this? The answer is that your body has suffered a traumatic event that sent its parts flying in different ways than it normally does, and you may have received damage that didn't show up on any X-Ray. What do you do now?

The old adage of "take stock" applies here. You've noticed these out-of-whack feelings in your bones and muscles. It's time to document your symptoms and discuss them with your doctor. Trauma related injuries sometimes take a few weeks to a month to appear, so it is important that you notice your body's reactions in the weeks after an accident. Anytime the body is thrown at an angle, an injury to the spine is possible. It may present as just an aching feeling along the spine, or you might notice a sharp pain when you move a certain way, or lifting suddenly becomes a problem. Note your activity and type of pain you experience so you can describe it to your physician. The doctor may want to press the joints along your spine to see if the pain is recreated from this pressure. Inflammation and sensitivity in certain areas of the spine may signal that something is wrong that can't be revealed from an X-Ray. At this point, your doctor may want to get a more detailed look at the problem areas in your spine by requesting an MRI of the area. The MRI is painless, and it can give your physician detailed information.

Is that knee that jammed the console still a bit swollen after a couple of weeks? Has it begun to make popping noises or has it given way or locked up since the accident? Again, document the symptoms so you can let your doctor know exactly what is going on. Again, injuries to the knee don't always show up on an X-Ray, and your physician may need an MRI to determine if that bump and bruise is something more. The knee joint is a wonderful structure, but it is filled with delicate tissues and even those strong tendons and ligaments can bruise and tear. If you thought a torn meniscus

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