Car accidents are terrifying. There’s no getting around it. One moment, you’re having a safe, comfortable ride, and the next, there’s a crunch of metal, your airbags go off, and you’re not sure what happened.
And to make matters worse, almost every person involved in the crash comes away injured. Yes, even minor fender-benders can cause quite a bit of damage to your body, which is why getting medical attention straight away is very important.
Even if you don’t feel pain, especially if you don’t feel pain. Our fight-or-flight instincts kick in when we’re in a car accident, so adrenaline and endorphins surge through our bodies and those biochemicals have a tendency to mask the pain of injuries.
The last thing you want is to wake up a few days after the accident and hurt so much you can’t get out of bed.
Signs and Symptoms to Watch Out For
Every car accident is unique and there are several factors that affect how injured you and your passengers are (speed, the spot of impact, seatbelts, etc.), but here are some common injuries and their symptoms.
Concussion:
Even if you weren’t knocked out, that doesn’t mean you don’t have one. In car accidents, the force of the airbag or even the sudden stop can impact your brain a little too hard. Watch for headaches, dizziness, sleepiness, trouble focusing, and sensitivity to light or sound.
Back Injuries:
In sudden stops, your back is thrown against the car seat, and that can cause anything from slight bruising to spinal cord damage. If you feel any numbness, weakness, or tingling in your limbs or spine, stop moving and call for help immediately.
Whiplash:
Perhaps the most common injury in car accidents. Whiplash is damage to your soft tissues caused by intense lurching against your seat belt. It appears most often in the neck, shoulders, and chest. Stiffness and soreness are the main indicators of whiplash.
Sprains and Fractures:
Your arms and legs are more vulnerable to these injuries, especially in more serious accidents. It can be hard to tell the difference, as both are accompanied by pain, swelling, and tenderness. A fracture is a damage to the bone as opposed to the soft tissue surrounding it, but if you can’t tell where the pain is coming from, have a professional diagnose it.
The Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Some injuries from car accidents can really only be treated in a hospital – setting bones, surgeries, diagnosing concussions – but soft tissue injuries can actually do the longest damage. Since they typically don’t impair movement as much as bone injuries, people anxious to get on with their lives tough out the pain and go back to work.
But straining the tissue by lifting heavy loads or overexercising aggravates the wounds and prevents them from healing properly. If left untreated, soft tissue injuries can lead to chronic damage and pain.
A general doctor might be able to help, but finding a chiropractor that specializes in car accident injuries could be even better. Chiropractic care stimulates the body’s natural healing processes and is a quicker, more effective way to get you back on your feet.
Here are some of the major benefits of seeking a chiropractor:
- The treatment is not invasive and does not require medication
- Restores blood flow to promote healing
- Relieves pain with specialized massages
- Prevents long-term pain by healing injuries quicker
- Restores your range of motion
- More time-efficient than scheduling doctor’s appointments.
Don’t tough out your pain. Seek medical help if you’ve been in an accident and take the steps you need to heal yourself.
Your body will thank you.
