Automobile accidents, even at low speeds, can result in many different injuries to the body, and one of the most common and potentially most serious is a head injury.
Your brain is a fragile organ that sits within your skull protected by cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid acts as a cushion for the brain in case there is a jolt or blow to the skull, keeping the brain safe from small impacts. However, if there is a more severe impact, such as your head hitting the windshield in an auto accident, the brain can hit the inside wall of the skull and be damaged.
This is a concussion, a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to hit your head to sustain a concussion; any accident where the head is violently forced back and forth can cause a concussion. A concussion can be mild or severe but should never be ignored. You may be unaware of the severity of the concussion, and if left undiagnosed and untreated, you may not know your brain is swelling or bleeding which can be fatal.
Symptoms
If you’ve been in an auto accident, here are signs that you may have sustained a concussion and should see a doctor:
- Loss of consciousness
- Tinnitus, ringing in the ears that could be temporary or permanent
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Amnesia
- Mood changes such as anger, irritability, anxiousness, depression, restlessness
- Headaches
- Slurred speech
- Seizures
- Blurred vision
- Feeling of fogginess
Symptoms of a concussion are tricky because they may surface right away or they may not be noticed for days or weeks after your auto accident so you may not attribute them to being in the accident. If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should be checked out immediately.
Treatment
The primary treatment for a concussion is resting physically as well as mentally. Yes, when you’re recovering from a concussion, you should rest your brain by doing things that don’t require a lot of complex thought.
Chiropractic Treatment can be helpful in the healing of concussions as well. By correcting any subluxations (misalignments) the nervous system can work as it should and the body can better heal itself. Headaches after an auto accident may not be the result of the concussion but instead be caused by subluxations that occurred at the base of the skull at the neck and the upper back when your body was thrashed about during the accident and may be relieved by chiropractic adjustments.
A concussion is not an injury that should be taken lightly and should always be checked out by a doctor. By seeing a chiropractor after you’ve been in an accident, you can heal properly and achieve relief from pain.
If you’ve been in an auto accident, call North County Pain Relief today. Dr. Elsey can evaluate you and come up with a treatment plan that’ll get you back to normal in no time. We will work with your insurance company to get the ball rolling on your recovery. To set up an appointment, call North County Pain Relief at (314) 731-4201.
