Vehicular accidents may cause mild to severe injuries, depending on the circumstances surrounding them. Regardless of the injury’s severity, a car accident may have long-lasting effects on you and your family’s life.
More than 2.3 million people get injured in these accidents and sent to the emergency department every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. The different injuries depend on the severity of the collision. When car accident injuries occur, you can visit a chiropractor in Lehi or other areas to determine the extent of the damage and know the possible treatments.
Here are some of the most common types of car accident injuries.
Whiplash
Whiplash injuries are common in people who had a vehicular accident. It affects the neck, where the body part suddenly extends backward and then forward due to the collision. Aside from the neck, it also affects the spine.
The common symptoms of whiplash include headaches, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, stiffness of the upper extremities and back, and altered sensation in the affected areas. This type of injury can range from mild to severe and can take weeks up to years to recover.
Bone Fractures
Bone fractures are painful injuries that can occur due to car accidents. They can happen anywhere in the body, such as the skull, ankles, arms, or ribs, among others. Fractures happen because accidents can put incredible amounts of force unto the body, more than what the bones can tolerate. Therefore, they experience aftereffects the body isn’t familiar with.
Doctors treat fractures with casting, surgery, and pain relievers. Also, after this injury, pain and inflammation are present, making anti-inflammatory medication vital for recovery.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injury or SCI is a more severe condition a person can suffer from if they experience a car accident. Its signs depend on which level of the spinal cord is damaged. The spinal cord is the message relay pathway from the brain to the body parts and vice versa. When an injury in this area occurs, it can affect many bodily functions, including walking or moving the hands.
Head Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries and other forms are severe conditions following an accident involving a collision. If head injuries are not treated immediately and appropriately, they can lead to long-term problems involving brain function, such as sleeping problems and chronic headaches. In worst-case scenarios, these injuries can become fatal.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Muscle sprains and strains can happen after a car accident. They may last for weeks or even months, depending on their severity. Usually, a soft tissue injury occurs when the body’s connective tissue gets damaged, including the tendons, muscles, and ligaments. These parts often the most affected in accidents and collisions.
Car accidents are scary and dreadful, especially when injuries happen. The best thing to do after an accident is to seek medical attention right away. For some, chiropractors provide the needed care after being hospitalized for an accident. They make sure the function of your affected part will be brought back within weeks to months.
