Why Car Accidents Cause Back Pain
Even low-speed car accidents create powerful forces on the spine. The sudden deceleration of a rear-end collision, for example, can compress lumbar discs, strain paraspinal muscles and ligaments, and cause facet joint injury — all within milliseconds and before the driver has time to brace.
Common Back Injuries from Car Accidents
- lumbar disc herniation: The disc's inner material pushes through a tear in the outer ring, potentially compressing nerve roots and causing sciatica
- Lumbar sprain and strain: Overstretching of muscles and ligaments in the lower back, causing pain and limited movement
- Facet joint injury: Damage to the small joints connecting vertebrae, causing localized pain and stiffness
- Compression fracture: In higher-energy impacts, vertebral bodies can fracture under axial loading
Why MRI Is Essential for Back Injuries
X-ray can only show bone. The soft tissue injuries that cause most post-accident back pain — disc herniations, ligament damage, muscle tears — are invisible on plain radiograph. MRI is the essential study for documenting these injuries, and MAIC's on-site 1.5T and 3T MRI provides same-day imaging with 48-hour board-certified radiologist reads.
Getting Treatment in the Bronx
If you have back pain after a car accident in the Bronx, call MAIC at (888) 991-5290 for a same-day evaluation. Treatment is fully covered under New York No-Fault insurance — zero out-of-pocket cost.