Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries in the United States, with over 4.5 million people seriously injured in 2018 alone. Cars and travel are a major part of our society, but the injuries they cause can leave a lot of people searching for a way to recover, heal, and get their bodies back to the way things were prior to an accident.
Even if you take steps and safety precautions to avoid a car accident or injury, sometimes they still occur due to the recklessness of other drivers, poor weather conditions, and unforeseeable circumstances. Though many people take care to adhere to safety measures, such as wearing a seatbelt, practicing defensive driving, avoiding impaired driving, and taking care of vehicle recalls or suggested repairs, they still may receive minor to major injuries while regular driving if involved in a collision or accident.
While each car accident is unique, there are some fairly common injuries that result from car accidents and crashes due to the nature of safety devices, vehicle composition, and how the human body reacts to trauma.
Some of the most common injuries sustained form car accident injuries include:
- Whiplash
- Neck & Shoulder Pain
- Chest Pain
- Cuts & Scrapes
- Head Injuries & Concussions
- Broken Bones
- Bruised Ribs
- Herniated Discs
- Knee Pain & Trauma
- Back & Spinal Cord Injuries
- Strains & Sprains
Some of the injuries resulting from car accidents are short term, and relatively easy to recover from, while other may take months and even years of physical therapy and chiropractic treatment to heal.
Here are some of the most common car accident injuries treated by chiropractic care, along with the way that a chiropractor or physical therapist might treat a patient with certain injuries:
Whiplash
Whiplash is an injury caused by the sudden impact of a vehicle crash forcing the head to move in an unnatural, unexpected motion that can tear the fine muscles in the neck and upper back, along with dislocations or herniation of the upper cervical spine. Most people realize that they could have whiplash due a sore neck or have trouble moving or turning their neck normally.
Whiplash and other neck-related symptoms of car accident injuries can leave patients with a sore neck and other serious injuries, since the inflammation and swelling in the muscles of the neck, upper back, and head can make those areas very sensitive and difficult to move.
Neck & Shoulder Pain
Neck and shoulder pain are common injuries that result from car accidents, since they can occur at speeds as slow as 5mph and can often cause debilitating movement. Pain and stiffness can prevent people from performing their work tasks or daily routine, and if left untreated, pain can worsen to cause secondary conditions–such as headaches, migraines, and radiating shoulder pain.
Chiropractors provide integrated therapies for shoulder and neck pain and other symptoms of car accident injuries, such as massage therapy, chiropractic adjustments, rehabilitation exercises, and more specialized options depending on the degree and location of pain.
Back Pain
Back pain, especially lower back pain, is an extremely common symptom that many people experience after sustaining injuries in a car accident. Back injuries sustained in a car accident do not generally resolve themselves without proper treatment and rehabilitation. Back pain can inhibit your day-to-day routine and cause long-term problems if left untreated.
Additionally, back pain can be indicative of greater problems and should be examined carefully to determine what treatment is needed. For example, back pain can be a symptom of a herniated disc, or other serious conditions that must be treated to prevent worsening pain or complications.
RxWellness’ trained chiropractors diagnose the cause of back pain from car accident injuries and provide natural pain relief with the latest chiropractic care practices and technologies. Back pain specialists provide treatment and pain relief for herniated discs and other lower back injuries. Chiropractic care helps reduce the inflammation which often causes pain for common types of lower back pain.
Knee Pain
The sudden impact of a car accident can cause knee injuries and pain, especially in the case of knees striking the dashboard, seats, or other objects within the vehicle. Knee injuries can cause pain to ligaments and kneecaps, and other serious injuries which require treatment or physical therapy to heal the damage. If left untreated, knee injuries can cause long term pain and difficulty walking and running.
Chiropractic care provides specific treatment to ensure knee ligaments, joints, and muscles heal properly. Physical therapy allows patients with knee pain or injuries to recover and get back to the previous state of health and physical activity, or to regain some function in that area for more serious injuries.
Prior to opting for invasive knee surgeries, consider the benefits of PT and chiropractic treatment and adjustments to relieve knee pain.
Arms & Leg Injuries
In a car accident, many people injure their extremities–namely their arms and legs, and they may feel the pain immediately. From pain in ligaments and tendons, to nerve damage and bruised muscles or bones, there are a variety or injuries that can occur to the arms or legs in car accidents. Pain in the arms or legs can be a sign of nerve damage or muscle soreness and should be carefully inspected to ensure there is no serious, permanent damage.
By seeking out a chiropractor, patients can get a complete exam and consultation to determine the source of their pain. At RxWellness, our specialists design a personalized treatment program, which includes education on movement techniques and rehabilitation exercises.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Perhaps one of the most severe injuries from car accidents occurs in the form of spinal cord damage. Whether a herniated disc, misalignment, or worse, these injuries can completely upheave a patient’s health and wellbeing, and their life. After seeking medical treatment at the scene of the accident, it’s best to get a comprehensive exam to determine the extent of the damage to the spinal cord.
Many injuries may require bracing or alignment to ensure the spine in in the correct position and not causing pain to other areas of the body. Before opting for painful, often invasive surgery that could require months to heal and recover from, consider the benefits of chiropractic care to help heal spinal cord injuries.
Chest Pain
Chest pain occurs after a car accident for a number of reasons, the most common of which are bruising and injury. One common injury is chest pain from seat belts and airbags. Although these safety devices are essential for preventing more life-threatening injuries that result from car crashes and accident, they have been known to cause bruising, pain, and soreness in the chest area after being deployed during a car accident.
Another common injury is pain and soreness due to cracked or fractured ribs, injuries from punctures, and discomfort in the chest after an accident. Chiropractic care can help ensure proper alignment and recovery techniques for chest pain.
Muscle Pain & Soreness
One of the most common injuries that patients seek chiropractic care for after being involved in a car accident is muscles pain and soreness. Trauma from a car accident can cause both soft tissue sprains and strains to the driver and passengers, which may worsen over time without proper treatment. Along with muscle soreness, strains and sprains are two common injuries that people experience during a crash that tends to respond well to chiropractic treatment.
A strain is an acute or chronic soft tissue injury caused by overstretching or tearing a muscle, tendon, or both, whereas a sprain is the equivalent injury of a ligament. One common neck injury, whiplash, is notorious for causing neck strains and sprains. These injuries require more than a day or two of rest to recover from, and most people involved in a car accident or collision with sprain or strain related injury need anywhere from six to twelve weeks to fully recover. For those with more serious injuries, such as a painful tear in a frequently used body part, the recovery period can be much longer.
Contact Us
If you have been injured in a car accident, schedule a free consultation with a chiropractor at RxWellness Health & Spine. Being involved in a car accident is never easy, but with the help of our caring chiropractors and specialists, you can heal faster to get back to your normal routine. RxWellness provides treatment in the form of chiropractic care and adjustments, physical therapy, pain relief, individualizes recovery exercises, and professional advice to allow car accident injuries the time and care they need to properly heal. Contact RxWellness Spine & Health today!
See Also
Most Common Car Accident Injuries & How To Treat Them
10 Reasons to See a Car Accident Chiropractor for Pain Relief
Car Accident Seat Belt Injuries-Chiropractic Treatment
5 Reasons to Have Physical Therapy After A Car Accident
Treating Painful Muscle Spasms After A Car Accident