Did you know that car crashes are the number one cause of injury in the United States? Injuries can occur even in collisions under 5 miles per hour, so “minor” incidents can have long term consequences, not just for your health. Sometimes accidents leave you struggling with lengthy legal issues, especially if you don’t take the proper steps after an accident. Make an appointment with you chiropractor after any collision to receive the proper treatment for you body and document your injuries in case any questions arise down the road.
Often car accidents result in injuries that are immediately apparent, people tend to have those addressed, but many impacts leave injuries that take hours, days, or even weeks to shows symptoms. More than 570,000 car accidents result in closed head injuries, these occur when the brain has been traumatized, but often there is no external damage visible, even if you think you are fine you need to visit a professional.
Orthopedic injuries include broken bones, torn ligaments and tendons, and strained or sprained muscles. Whiplash falls under this category and is one of the most common auto accident injuries. The symptoms of whiplash can take a while to develop so you may walk away from the impact thinking that you are fine, but the consequences of untreated whiplash can become chronic.
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury caused by a sudden jerk of the head. The impact causes strained or sprained ligaments and muscles; often whiplash results in vertebrae being pulled out of alignment. You may have heard that whiplash is only a danger on a rear impact crash, but that isn’t true. Whiplash can happen from a variety of impacts, at a variety of speeds. There are many factors that can make you more or less vulnerable to whiplash, but the bottom line is our bodies aren’t meant to suffer that sort of impact and damage is going to occur.
Symptoms may appear shortly after the accident or as late as weeks after a collision. You may experience headaches, pain in your arms, back, and jaw, dizziness, ringing in your ears, as well as neck pain. You will probably find it painful or difficult to turning your head or nod.
Whiplash is a common injury, anyone who has experienced the pain of whiplash can validate the serious impact it can have on your life, but often victims of car crashes have their injuries brushed off by insurance companies that do not want to pay for the proper care. One very important thing you can do to protect yourself is to have your injuries documented as soon as possible after an accident. This will not only allow you to begin recovering (delaying treatment can cause much longer delays in your recovery time), but will help when dealing with insurance companies.
Come to our office if you have been in an accident, we have the resources to evaluate and begin addressing your auto related injuries. We can also offer at-home exercises, nutrition advice, and other techniques to help with your general wellness. If your car is too damaged to drive call our office, we can help to arrange pickup so your health isn’t negatively impacted by a delay. Call today!
