Whether on the highway or in a parking lot, car crashes often result in injuries. The most common auto injuries – whiplash, headaches, and soft tissue injuries – have the potential to lead to chronic symptoms and long-term pain. If you have been in an auto collision in Nashville, learn how to recognize the signs of these common injuries, and what you can do to treat them.
Whiplash
During a car accident, the vehicle decelerates suddenly, pushing your body into the seat while your head remains stationary. The resulting stretching of the joints and ligaments of the neck can cause whiplash injuries. Symptoms include neck pain or stiffness, dizziness, or headaches. Severe whiplash can also result in fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbances, and a wide range of additional symptoms. Some whiplash symptoms appear immediately following the accident, while others may not be apparent for several days.
If you experience neck pain after being involved in a car accident, seek medical treatment promptly. If left untreated, whiplash injuries can cause chronic pain lasting months or even years. Nashville chiropractor Dr. Jim Sweeney frequently sees auto injury patients, providing treatments such as spinal decompression to alleviate neck and back pain and prevent chronic whiplash injuries.
Headache
You don't have to hit your head on anything during the crash to end up with a headache. Immediate deceleration often causes a headache after an auto collision. Many of these headaches will go away on their own within a few days, but some stick around. If you still have a headache three days after the accident, seek medical attention. Headaches can be a sign of serious injuries or problems in the cervical spine.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Injuries such as sprains and strains affect the soft tissues, which include the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Strained muscle, sprained ligaments, bruises, muscle aches, and joint pain are some of the types of soft tissue injuries you may notice following a car accident. Mild soft tissue injuries generally heal quickly, though more severe symptoms can linger for months.
Seek Chiropractic Care Promptly
If you have any symptoms, such as pain, following a car accident, seek medical attention immediately. If your auto injury pain is severe, go to the emergency room. For other aches and pain, see your Nashville chiropractor as soon as possible. Visit Sweeney Chiropractic to learn more about how chiropractic care can help to alleviate your auto injury pain. Delaying treatment could result in chronic symptoms or create problems with your insurance claim.
Dr. Jim Sweeney & Dr. Jon Sweeney, your Nashville Chiropractors and Palmer College of Chiropractic West graduates, provide quality chiropractic care to patients in Nashville, TN. If you suffer from back pain, neck pain, headache, sciatica or have been in an auto collision, Sweeney Chiropractic can get you back on the road to health.
