Brain Injury Law Blog : Head Injury : Coma : Personal Injury : Las Vegas Nevada Lawyer & Attorney Tim Titolo

 Helmets have had a substantial impact on traumatic brain injury prevention.  However, another concern stemming from using helmets was whether the helmet actually increased the incidence of spine injury.  The weight of the helmet is was thought suffered the neck to linear and rotational injury with trauma.

A new study debunks the myth that helmets increase neck injury. A review of U.S. National Trauma Databank information on more than 40,000 motorcycle collisions between 2002 and 2006, and found that riders wearing helmets were 22 percent less likely to suffer cervical spine injury than those without helmets.

The study could prompt legislatures and lawmakers to revisit the issue of mandatory helmet laws. Over the past 15 years, a number of states have repealed their mandatory motorcycle helmet laws after lobbying from anti-helmet activists who often cite a small, 25-year-old study that suggested that the weight of a motorcycle helmet increased the risk of spine injuries. However, many experts say the study used flawed statistical reasoning.

To read more from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Motorcycle Safety click here.

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The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) spokesperson reports that there are some ways to help prevent low back pain and protect your spine. Prevention tips from the AANS:

- Maintain a healthy body weight.

-  If you smoke, quit. Smoking and extra weight can not only damage the spine, but are factors that can negatively impact spine surgery.

- Maintain proper posture while sitting, standing and walking.

- Use proper lifting techniques to avoid injury. Bend your knees when picking up and lowering the object, keep a straight back, and do not twist. Do not lift heavy objects that are beyond your strength ability.

- Make sure your mattress and bed pillow support your neck and back.

- Do exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscles of your abdomen and spine. Strong back and abdominal muscles can help you maintain good posture and keep your spine in its correct position.

- If you suffer from persistent, chronic, or recurring back pain, consult your doctor. In most cases there is a conservative, nonsurgical treatment that can resolve the pain. However, if left untreated or allowed to progress, back pain may lead to serious and severe disability. 

The Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine recommends an excercise machine designed specifically for back muscles as a solution.  Such exercises can only help reduce pain and disabilities caused by back pain. He recommends those who suffer severe hurt begin with stretches on the ground with low to medium effort.
 

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As a back and neck injury lawyer in Las Vegas, Nevada, I encounter untreated or undiagnosed spine injury often.  Even though back pain can affect people of any age, it is significantly more common among adults aged between 35 and 55 years.

Experts say that back pain is associated with the way our bones, muscles and ligaments in our backs work together.  

There are several diagnostic tests to assist physicians in detecting and treating back and neck conditions.

An interesting review entitled "Physical examination for lumbar radiculopathy due to disc herniation in patients with low-back pain" (Van der Windt DAWM, et al. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010) reveals that diagnosing back pain is not a simple matter. I read the findings.

While lower back pain ranks as a common cause of disability in the United States, determining what causes a person's back pain is often challenging. A new review on diagnosing back pain finds that no single diagnostic test is good at discriminating between patients who have a herniated disc and patients who do not.

Lawrence Kurz M.D., an orthopedic spinal surgeon at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., agreed with the results of this review: No one test is specific and sensitive enough to be used as the sole guide for making an accurate diagnosis of disc herniation as the cause of sciatica.

Healthy discs are spongy cushions of cartilage that fill the spaces between vertebrae in the spine. They act as shock absorbers for the spine and allow flexibility. A herniated disc can occur when a disc incurs damage because of trauma or stress and bulges outside of its normal position to press on a nerve. This can result in pain that radiates down to the lower leg - also called sciatica.
 

In other conditions, including osteoporosis and similar aging disorders, bony structures could press on nerves, causing pain.

Representing injured people with back and neck pain complaints requries diverse diagnositic testing.  Insurance company representative all too often point to one test to either deny or rule out a condition.

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Timothy R. Titolo resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.  He represents plaintiffs in personal injury cases.  His specific interest is in cases involving traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI) (including back and neck injury) and car, motorcycle and truck accidents.  

Tim is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Justice Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group.  He is an active member of AAJ's Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, Motorcycle Litigation Group and Inadequate Security Litigation Group.  Tim is recognized as a Fellow of the National College of Advocacy.

Because of his experience handling brain, spine and other catastrophic injury cases, Tim has been invited to lecture at over 50 legal & medical conferences around the country.  He has lectured for:

• American Association of Justice
• Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, AAJ
• Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, AAJ
• North American Brain Injury Society
• Brain Injury Association of America
• International Brain Injury Association
• National Business Institute
• Pacific Northwest Brain Injury Association
• Oregon Brain Injury Association
• Washington Brain Injury Association
• Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Utah Trial Lawyers Assocation
• Utah Brain Injury Association
• Nevada Brain Injury Association
• Michigan Brain Injury Association
• other brain injury affiliated groups

When not practicing law, Tim enjoys spending time with his family, reading, writing, watching movies, traveling and exercising.

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