The statistics surrounding car accidents are not encouraging — there are about 6 million car accidents in the U.S. every year, and about 3 million Americans are injured in car accidents annually. Your chances of getting hurt in an auto accident are, unfortunately, pretty high. If you take safety measures like properly caring for your car, driving defensively, and wearing your seatbelt, you can hopefully walk away from any accident without much pain or immobility. If you are injured in a car accident, however, receiving proper treatment is essential.
Spine and Beyond is here to help you manage and move beyond car accident injuries. As Van Nuys’ Top Rated Local® chiropractic office, we pride ourselves in offering effective treatments that harness the natural healing ability of your body and prevent long-term damage. There are a number of injuries you may incur in a car accident, and we are dedicated to treating a wide range of them. Read on to learn about the most common car accident injuries, and if you have experienced any of them for yourself, please visit Spine and Beyond for a holistic, patient-focused approach! We look forward to working with you.
What Happens in a Car Crash
To understand several of these injuries, it’s important to understand what happens to your body when you’re in a car accident. As you are driving, your car and your body are traveling in the same direction at the same speed. When the car makes a sudden stop or an abrupt turn, it takes a while for your body to catch up. You continue to travel in the original direction at the original speed until something like a seatbelt arrests that movement. The point where your body is snapped back to the back or the side is when most injuries occur.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an incredibly common result of any car accident. The change in momentum often causes your head and neck to “whip” back and forth, which can injure the muscles and tendons in your neck. It can be incredibly painful, and many find it restricts them from everyday activities.
- Symptoms
- Neck pain
- Neck stiffness
- Pain with movement
- Restricted range of motion
Concussion
Head injuries are another common result of car accidents, and you can get a concussion even if your head doesn’t physically hit another object. Concussions can be very serious, and you are at risk for traumatic brain injury in any kind of crash, so it’s important that you seek medical help following a car accident as soon as possible.
- Symptoms
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Dizziness
- Ringing in ears
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory problems
Herniated Disc
Injury to your spine is also common in a car accident. A herniated disc refers to the cushion-like discs between the bones of your spine. Each one has a tough outer surface and a soft, gel-like interior. If the outer layer is damaged, the inner contents of the disc may swell or spill outward into the spinal canal, pressing on nearby nerves. It can occur at any point along your spine, and the symptoms often depend on which nerves the disc compresses.
- Symptoms
- Arm or leg pain
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of feeling or tingling in limbs
- Low back pain
- Neck pain
- Possibly no symptoms
Fractured or Broken Bones
Predictably, the blunt force and compression your body experiences in a car crash often causes fractured or broken bones. Your extremities – your hands, arms, feet, and legs – are at particular risk. Rear-end crashes especially endanger your arms, wrists, and hands because of their position on the steering wheel. Your ribs can also prove fragile beneath the force of an effective seatbelt.
- Symptoms
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Deformity
- Loss of function
- Severe pain
Seek Car Accident Injury Treatment from Spine and Beyond
The chiropractors at Spine and Beyond can help you heal from many of the injuries listed here. With a holistic approach and a dedication to noninvasive, nonsurgical, drug-free treatments whenever possible, we can help you recover quickly and effectively. Car accident injuries can often lead to long-term damage if not properly addressed, but our team has experience with comprehensive spinal rehabilitation and recovery. Turn to Van Nuys’ Top Rated Local® chiropractic office, and contact us today to schedule your appointment!
