How Injured Alabama Offshore Workers Can Deal with Chronic Pain

Injured Alabama offshore workers often must fight through terrific pain and frustration - as well as deal with unresponsive or even combative employers - just to make it through the first week or two after the accident/injury. But other perils can lurk as well. Specifically, hurt workers may need to confront chronic injuries to soft tissue that emerge as a "downstream" consequence of the injury.

How might this happen, and what can you do? Consider a hypothetical example of an oil rig worker on a drilling ship out in the Gulf Coast. During a particularly rough storm, he slips and falls down a flight of stairs, jamming his back and breaking a leg. When he returns to the shore, he gets treatment for his broken leg and rehab for his back. He seems to recover. But in the weeks and months after the accident, he develops extreme sensitivity throughout his body - possibly fibromyalgia, possibly some other pain disorder. Doctors are not sure if it links back to the accident.

In addition to consulting with an experienced Alabama maritime lawyer, the injured worker might consider investigating whether or not the accident caused myofascial trigger points. These are hard little nodules of muscle tissue that can form due to chronic or acute stresses. For instance, whiplash victims develop trigger points in and around the muscles of the neck and upper spine. Typists develop trigger points in the upper back and pectoral regions. Treating these trigger points may treat the chronic pain or at least prevent it from getting worse. Obviously, you should speak with a physician if you suspect that you have trigger points. But the moral is that a good diagnosis is imperative.

If you would like more information about how to protect your rights as an injured AL maritime worker, download three free e-books from our website. You also can call our offices at 877-724-7800 to schedule your free and confidential consultation.