More than 80,000 cases of neck injuries are reported in the US annually following car accidents and crashes. Motor vehicle accidents are the primary cause of neck injuries.
There are many instances where accident-related neck injuries are either left untreated or medical attention is sought after after a long delay. In both cases, negligence leads to long-term pain and disability. The part of the spine that extends into the neck is known as the cervical spine. When the cervical spine is injured during a car crash, the soft tissues surrounding the area get injured and can cause life-altering changes in your daily living.
What Really Happens?
Let’s try and understand what exactly happens when the neck is injured during a car accident. At the time of a car accident, the head is suddenly thrown backward and forward in painful jerking movements. The impact of such a jolt can cause serious injury to the neck muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and nerves, as well as the cervical spine.
After a car accident, it may take from several hours to even days for the signs and symptoms of neck injuries to fully reveal themselves.
- But there are some symptoms that you can keep a watch out for that include the following:
- Headaches
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Radiating pain to the arms and shoulder
- Dizziness
- Tingling and numbness in the extremities
If these symptoms persist for more than a few hours, it makes sense to get to an accident clinic and have the chiropractor draw out a treatment plan for you.
Left untreated, the neck injury that is causing hardly any trouble initially, can soon snowball into chronic pain and produce long-term complications.
The following are the 3 most common neck injuries that are caused by a car accident:
Whiplash:
The sudden jerk to the neck during a car accident can cause a strain, or tear, or even damage the ligaments and muscles in the neck. This injury is also called whiplash, which is one of the most common neck injuries caused by car accidents. Because the neck is violently “whipped” back and forth due to the impact and force of the collision, whiplash can cause severe damage to the cervical spine and its surrounding soft tissue too.
Herniated disc or bulging disc:
The high-impact collision during a car accident can cause the vertebrae in the cervical spine to slip out of their original position. When this happens, the discs or cushion-like structures between the vertebrae squeeze out and push against the spinal nerves and compress them. These bulging discs when left untreated can lead to long-term pain along with tingling and numbness in the extremities.
Cervical spine fracture:
The vertebrae of the cervical spine upon impact during a car accident can even snap or fracture. If after a car accident you suspect you have sustained a neck injury that has led to a fracture of the cervical spine, do not attempt to move your head in the absence of proper medical personnel assistance. An injured spinal cord can lead to paralysis.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractors at our accident clinic in Miami have treated and helped thousands of car accident victims get rid of their accident-related neck pains. Our experienced team of chiropractors heals the cervical spine and neck pains by unlocking the body’s potential to heal itself.
Also, there are many cases where even the x-ray machines are unable to detect soft tissue injuries to the neck. In such cases, chiropractors provide non-invasive treatment alternatives to car accident victims for them to heal naturally and restore their health.
For more information about the treatment of neck injuries, you may call at 305-389-9040 to schedule an appointment for an evaluation.
