It’s a very little known fact that many car accident injuries can be hidden and seldom detected for months and even years. Too many people just settle their cases with insurance companies without being evaluated by a doctor who knows what to look for after an auto collision. Even if you were involved in a minor fender bender and you’re feeling little to no pain or discomfort, you can still be severely injured. Symptoms may not surface until weeks, months, or even years after the accident. It’s important to know just what you’re up against the next time you’re involved in a collision. Here are some of the most common car accident injuries and what you can do to treat them:
Neck Injuries
Whiplash is the most common injury suffered in auto accidents. This neck injury occurs when your neck stretches and then abruptly and quickly snaps back into place due to the sudden stop or acceleration caused by the accident. Whiplash can damage vertebrae, ligaments, muscles, tendons, discs, or the spinal cord itself in your neck and back. It can cause chronic pain that significantly impacts many people’s lives, or it can cause more permanent injuries such as paralysis or loss of function in limbs.
The only safe bet in diagnosing and treating whiplash damage is seeing a doctor or chiropractor trained in these types of injuries. After performing a complete orthopedic, neurological, chiropractic, and functional examination, we are able to assess soft tissue damage, muscle strength, range of motion, and joint and nerve function. We can evaluate auto accident victims and refer them for the proper method of treatment. Specific chiropractic adjustments are a common treatment for this injury because they restore proper motion in individual spinal bones, allowing stretched muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints to heal in the proper position.
Back Injuries
The lower back is another very common site of back injuries from car accidents. In this spot, there could be many problems like sprains, a herniated disc, or a fractured vertebrae. Due to the forceful impact against the spine, these injuries cause a lot of pain and limit mobility greatly. Again, symptoms can take some time to show up after the accident, therefore it’s critical that you get checked out as soon as possible.
Again, specific chiropractic adjustments can help improve spinal function depending on the type of injury that’s diagnosed. With these adjustments, we can restore the way your spine works and heals. It helps the discs and other soft tissue damages, reduce nerve involvement, so the pain can subside. The purpose of chiropractic is to locate and correct areas in your spine that are interfering with proper nervous system control of your body. That’s why people come to chiropractors after their car accidents! Especially with back injuries, a chiropractor is able to find the problem and correct it often times more efficiently than an ER, who’s main goal is to rule out and help with life threatening injuries.
Brain & Head Injuries
Other common injuries suffered by drivers and passengers in automobile accidents are to the brain and head. These can range from a mild concussion to a traumatic brain injury. There may not even be any physical signs, like cuts or bruises, but the brain can be at risk of being jostled inside the skull due to the impact of the crash.
Concussions can often heal on their own with a few weeks of rest, but they can also be more severe so you should seek medical attention anyway to be sure. Brain injuries are very common, but often hard to diagnose. Though doctors will perform tests to make sure the concussion hasn’t developed into bleeding or a blood clot, the most effective treatment is a ton of rest. More severe brain and head injuries need prompt medical attention.
With any car accident injury, it’s important to be evaluated by a professional. You need to be checked by a specialist that knows the human body’s biomechanics and someone who treats these injuries every day. Florida Law states that you now only have 14 days to have your spine checked for injuries following your accident to ensure coverage with your insurance company. Don’t wait! If you’ve recently been involved in an automobile collision (even if you were at fault), contact Parkside today to schedule an auto accident exam. We’ll detect the causes of the pain in your body and refer you to the right course of treatment.