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Would have to say the worst pain -- and longest lasting -- pain was after a motorcycle accident. Car (Ford Pinto...) turned left against a red light in front of me. Head over heels after slamming into the car -- I was on my Honda CB750 -- then a very hard landing on the pavement.
Right femur broken into 3 pieces. Where the right knee hit the car (or the pavement) a horrible gagged gash.
Each fracture (3) pinned then a plate was screwed (7 screws) to the bone so I would not have to spend months in traction while the femur healed.
After being wheeled out of surgery into the recovery room and as the anesthesia wore off the pain was over me like nothing I've experienced before or since.
Pain was with me the 6 days I spent recovering in the hospital then was with me at home. Pain medicine made me throw up blood.
But I got better rather quickly -- physical therapy helped me recover full use of the leg -- and in 14 weeks after the accident I was back at work. Work which had me on my feet 8 hours a day.
A postscript was about 7 years later I changed careers and entered an apprenticeship program to become a journeyman machinist. I was employed at a machine shop specializing in large part machining. Largest part I ever "handled" was 14,000lbs. Of course I wasn't expected to move this part by hand. But nonetheless the work was very physically demanding.
All the standing, walking, and lifting while smaller parts were still pretty heavy had me after a few years suffering from severe back pain.
Went to see my orthopedic surgeon. After some discussion he had me remove my work boots and pants and with a tape measure appeared to measure the distance from a point on the hip to a point at the knee joint this for both the right and left leg.
After the measurements he had me walk away from him then walk towards him.
Opened his desk drawer and removed some squares of plywood. Had me raise my left foot and placed some plywood under my left foot. (I broke the right leg.)
When I put the left foot down and was standing on both legs again the pain was gone. The doctor played around with various thicknesses and settled on a 5/8" thick shim for my left foot. Doctor said the right leg had grown 3/4" longer as the result of the fractures adding bone as they healed. But he wrote a prescription for 5/8" as he said better to be a bit under than over. The leg length difference was the cause of my back pain.
Since then every new pair of work boots/shoes has had first thing out of the box a 5/8" shim installed in the left heel. My shoes are the first thing I put on in the morning and the last thing I take off at night. Have not felt any pain in my back since.
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