Car accidents have the potential to cause severe, debilitating injuries. Their high-impact nature can put a lot of stress on your body, especially your spine.
Your spine plays an important role in your central nervous system and serves as the connection between all parts of your musculoskeletal system. Your spine is made up of vertebrae and discs that are arranged to support and protect your spinal cord. Maintaining your spinal health is essential to your well-being and quality of life.
Learn why you should see a doctor after a car accident.
Neck and back injuries are two of the most common car accident-related injuries.
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries people get from a car accident — where the head is forced forward and backward in an abrupt, harsh motion. Whiplash typically affects the head, neck, shoulders, and upper back. This sudden jerking movement can injure your vertebrae, discs, nerves, and the tissues around your neck.
Typical symptoms of whiplash include:
Most people recover within a few days or weeks after a whiplash injury, however, some may experience lasting pain or headaches. Whiplash can typically be treated with at-home remedies. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers, rest, hot and cold therapy, and certain exercises and stretches to help you recover and regain your range of motion.
Car accidents can also cause spinal compression fractures. Compression fractures occur when the cancellous bone inside of your vertebrae collapses, and can occur anywhere throughout your spine.
Symptoms of compression fractures include:
Without proper treatment, compression fractures can lead to chronic pain, disability, loss of height, and permanent deformity. Compression fractures can typically be treated with rest, back bracing, hot and cold therapy, and pain medications. In severe cases, your spinal specialist may recommend kyphoplasty — a minimally invasive procedure that restores vertebral shape and height.
Your vertebral discs are designed to absorb impact, prevent injury, and enable full range of motion in your spine. While they can protect your spine from serious damage in a traumatic event, spinal discs can also become injured. Disc herniation occurs when a crack forms in the hard exterior of your spinal discs, allowing part of its soft inner nucleus to leak out.
Some patients have no symptoms of a herniated disc. Others may experience:
While 90% of herniated discs heal on their own, if your pain doesn’t improve within six weeks you likely need medical attention. When left untreated, a herniated disc can lead to a chronic condition that disrupts your quality of life.
Herniated discs can be treated with both surgical and non-surgical treatments. Non-surgical treatments typically include epidural steroid injections, physical therapy, and various lifestyle changes. If your condition is severe or doesn’t improve with non-surgical treatments, your doctor may recommend herniated disc surgery such as an artificial disc replacement.
After a car accident, seek medical care as soon as possible to ensure you haven’t sustained an injury — even if you don’t feel any pain immediately. In some cases, it can take time to feel the effects of an injury resulting from a traumatic event.
If you’ve been experiencing pain, numbness, or weakness that prevents you from doing daily activities, visit a back pain specialist. They will be able to diagnose the cause of your pain and determine a proper treatment plan.
Seek medical attention immediately if you experience the following serious back pain symptoms:
After a car accident, many people may experience general pain, soreness, or discomfort. If you feel pain, weakness, pinching, aches, or strains after a traumatic event, even if this pain develops later on, don’t ignore it.
Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something is wrong, and back pain after a car accident could be a sign of a more serious injury. If you delay treatment or neglect it altogether, you run the risk of your symptoms and injury worsening.
At Citrus Spine Institute, our board-certified healthcare providers specialize in spinal health and procedures. We will work with you to create a treatment plan that’s right for you should you sustain a spinal injury from an auto accident. Schedule a consultation today to get started.
If you are experiencing severe back pain, you should never ignore it or try to suffer through it. Always consult your doctor. If you are not satisfied with your doctor or require specialized care, it is recommended to get a second opinion from a spinal specialist.