railway spine theory

Railway spine theory was a 19th-century medical hypothesis that explained certain post-accident symptoms—such as pain, headaches, and nervous issues—as resulting from physical injury to the spinal cord caused by train accidents. At the time, doctors believed the trauma from railway collisions damaged the spine or nervous system, leading to these symptoms. However, later research showed that many of these symptoms could not be linked to actual spinal injuries, and the theory is now considered outdated. Today, similar symptoms are understood within psychological or functional disorder frameworks rather than physical spinal damage.