This is something likely to provoke controversy, since everyone has a different experience of pain, but from those in the know, here are the contenders;
1) Flail chest: Direct trauma to the chest can cause multiple ribs to fracture in more than one place, as breathing occurs the chest expands when the flail segment sucks in, meaning broken bone segments grate on each other. Pain rating 10+.
2) Ankle dislocation: take a sprained ankle and multiply by 5. Long and painful rehabilitation. May require surgical stabilisation. Pain rating 8
3) Acute lumbar disc prolapse: regardless of commonality; this is one injury that brings the biggest and smallest to their knees. Unrelenting and exhausting, it is at it’s worst just when you want to rest: sitting and sleeping. Pain Rating 6-9
4) Facial fracture: inescapably uncomfortable and resulting in (often) inconvenient soft food diet. A local favourite Carlton footballer had some experience with this. Pain Rating 8-10
This list does not include multi-trauma (like car accident) or pain syndromes (CRPS, fibromyalgia etc).
To anyone who has suffered from these, we’re truly sorry you’ve had this experience, but know that you’re not suffering alone. There are always treatments and techniques to relieve your pain, and exercises to aid your recovery.