Can A Car Accident Cause Fibromyalgia?

As a car accident attorney, we see all kinds of injuries from various clients who come to our office with claims. Some of these injuries are quite obviously and directly related to physical trauma, but others take time to develop. Yes, a car accident can be a trigger for fibromyalgia. In this article, the Jacksonville car accident attorneys at Gillette Law will discuss the connection between bodily trauma and fibromyalgia.

Understanding fibromyalgia 

Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that is not well understood, notoriously difficult to diagnose, and until recently, medical professionals weren’t certain about the root causes. According to the Mayo Clinic, fibromyalgia is a disorder that is characterized by the following attributes:

• Musculoskeletal pain that radiates throughout the body
• Disturbances related to sleep, memory, and mood
• Fatigue and sleep disturbances

Fibromyalgia is characterized by both physical and psychological maladies. Medical researchers believe that fibromyalgia affects how the brain and spinal cord communicate both painful and non-painful signals. Fibromyalgia tends to amplify painful sensations. The condition is often precipitated by physical or psychological trauma, surgery, or infection. A serious car accident involves all of these.

To be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, the patient must experience widespread pain throughout the body for at least three months. To meet the diagnostic requirement of “widespread pain”, the patient must experience pain in at least four of the following five areas:

• The upper left region of the body (left arm, shoulder, or jaw)
• The upper right region of the body (right arm, shoulder, or jaw)
• The lower left region of the body (left hip, leg, or buttock)
• The lower right region of the body (right hip, leg, or buttock)
• The axial region of the body (neck, chest, abdomen, back)

Proving fibromyalgia following a car accident 

Medical researchers who study pain believe that fibromyalgia changes the way a patient’s body processes pain signals. This can actually increase the amount of pain you feel. Even relatively minor car accidents can generate immense amounts of impact that cause trauma. When the accident is more serious, both emotional and physical factors are amplified tremendously. This trauma can be the direct cause of a condition developing, like fibromyalgia, which causes permanent disability and reduces the quality of your life.

Connecting the car accident to symptoms of fibromyalgia is complicated, but possible. You need an attorney who understands the complexities of the body and how a traumatic event like a car accident can cause conditions like fibromyalgia.

When it comes time to file your accident claim, you want to be sure that you are compensated for all of your injuries. That includes those that may not have developed yet or are likely to develop down the line.

The attorneys at Gillette Law will work closely with medical experts to diagnose you with fibromyalgia if you’ve developed the condition after a car accident. We can establish a link between the car accident and the onset of the syndrome.

Talk to a Jacksonville, FL Personal Injury Attorney Today 

The Jacksonville personal injury lawyers at Gillette Law represent the interests of injured plaintiffs. We can help you establish the full scope of your injuries—those you may not even be aware of or have yet to develop—to ensure complete recovery for all of your injuries. Call our office today to learn more.