Car accidents can leave you dealing with painful injuries and uncertainty about recovery. Car accident injuries are common after collisions and require proper medical attention for optimal healing.
Premier Med Group understands your challenges and wants to help you understand your treatment options. In this guide, we explain the most common car accident injuries and provide proven strategies for managing pain during recovery.
How Common Are Car Accident Injuries?
Car accidents are alarmingly frequent, often resulting in severe injuries or fatalities. In 2022, motor vehicle wrecks caused 5.2 million injuries. Car accident injuries are so prevalent that they currently rank as the leading cause of death among people ages 5 to 29.
Common Car Accident Injuries:
Auto accidents can cause various injuries depending on factors like impact force and direction. Here are some of the most frequent injuries patients experience:
- Whiplash neck injuries: This neck injury occurs when your head jerks forward and backward suddenly. Symptoms include neck pain, stiffness, and headaches that may take days to develop.
- Concussions: You can suffer a traumatic brain injury from a head impact or violent shaking. Watch for symptoms like confusion, headaches, dizziness, and memory issues.
- Fractures: Broken bones commonly occur in the arms, legs, ribs, and pelvis during crashes. These injuries cause severe pain and require immediate medical care.
- Laceration injuries: Deep cuts from broken glass or twisted metal can cause significant blood loss and scarring without proper treatment.
- Contusions: These painful bruises occur when blood vessels break under the skin from impact. Severe contusions may indicate deeper tissue damage.
- Sprains: Torn or stretched ligaments in joints, particularly in the neck, back, and ankles, can cause lasting pain and instability.
- Spinal injuries: Trauma to the vertebrae, discs, or spinal cord can cause chronic pain, numbness, and mobility issues. These injuries require immediate medical evaluation.
- Soft tissue injuries: Damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout the body can cause lasting pain and reduced function. These injuries often affect the back, shoulders, and knees.
Pain Management Tips For Soreness After A Car Accident
Taking the right steps immediately after an accident helps minimize pain and support healing. For severe injuries, difficulty breathing, head trauma, or loss of consciousness, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Your health and safety should always be the top priority, so don’t hesitate to seek emergency care if you’re unsure about the severity of your injuries.
The following self-care tips can help manage pain from minor injuries after a car accident:
- Rest and ice: In the first 48 to 72 hours, apply ice for 15 to 20 minutes every few hours to reduce swelling and pain. Research shows that ice can restrict blood vessels, effectively reducing pain and inflammation in the injured area.
- Gentle movement: Light stretching and movement within your comfort zone helps prevent stiffness without aggravating injuries.
- Over-the-counter medications: Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen can help manage pain and reduce inflammation when used as directed.
- Good posture: Maintain proper alignment while sitting and sleeping to avoid straining injured areas.
- Heat therapy: After 72 hours, applying heat can increase blood flow and help relax tense muscles associated with common car accident injuries.
When to Seek Professional Treatment for Your Injury
After a car accident, it’s crucial to recognize signs that require professional medical attention. Even minor accidents can cause serious injuries that aren’t immediately apparent. Delaying treatment for serious injuries can lead to chronic pain and complications.
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following symptoms:
- Severe pain: Intense or worsening pain that doesn’t improve with rest and over-the-counter medication may indicate internal injuries requiring immediate evaluation.
- Neurological symptoms: Numbness, tingling, weakness, or difficulty with coordination and balance could signal nerve damage or a serious spinal cord injury that needs urgent care.
- Limited range of motion: The inability to move normally or complete daily activities due to pain or stiffness signals severe pain and underlying injuries. Restricted movement might indicate joint damage, muscle tears, or other injuries requiring professional treatment.
- Headaches or dizziness: Persistent symptoms could indicate a concussion or other serious injury. Without proper medical intervention and monitoring, these symptoms may worsen.
- Delayed or worsening symptoms: New pain or symptoms that develop days after the accident can be signs of serious conditions that weren’t obvious immediately after the crash.
Common Treatment Options:
Professional medical treatment is essential for proper healing after a car accident. The right combination of treatments can help manage pain and restore function. Your doctor will develop a personalized treatment plan.
Medical professionals may recommend various treatments based on your specific injuries:
- Physical therapy: Physical therapy involves guided exercises and stretches to restore strength, flexibility, and proper movement patterns. A physical therapist will create a customized program and teach you the proper form to prevent re-injury.
- Pain management medications: Prescription medications can control pain and inflammation during recovery. Your doctor will carefully monitor your response and adjust medications as needed to minimize side effects.
- Chiropractic care: Specialized adjustments may help realign the spine and reduce pain from certain injuries. Chiropractors also provide exercises and lifestyle recommendations to support long-term healing.
- Injection therapy: Targeted injections can provide relief for specific areas of pain and inflammation. These treatments may include corticosteroids or Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy or stem-cell therapy or other medications to reduce pain and promote healing.
- Surgery: In severe cases, surgical intervention may be necessary to repair damaged tissues or bones. Modern surgical techniques often allow for minimally invasive procedures with shorter recovery times.
The treatment required will depend on the type and severity of your injury. For example, fractures may require immobilization or surgery, while whiplash injuries may benefit from physical therapy or chiropractic care to reduce pain and stiffness.
The Role of Physical Therapy in Recovery
Physical therapy plays a vital role in helping patients regain function and mobility after car accident injuries. Your physical therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation to identify specific impairments and functional limitations. They can create an individualized treatment plan that might include the following:
- Manual therapy: Hands-on techniques, such as soft tissue mobilization and joint manipulation, can reduce pain and improve mobility. These specialized techniques also help break up scar tissue and promote proper healing.
- Therapeutic exercises: Progressive strengthening and stretching exercises can restore normal movement patterns. Your therapist will ensure you perform exercises correctly to maximize their benefits and prevent re-injury.
- Pain management modalities: Ultrasound, electrical stimulation, or other techniques can reduce pain and inflammation. These treatments complement your exercise program to help you participate more fully in rehabilitation.
- Functional training: Guided practice of daily activities and job-specific tasks help you return to normal activities.
Why Following Doctor Recommendations is Vital After a Car Accident
Following your doctor’s treatment plan protects both your health and legal rights. Insurance companies often review medical records when processing claims.
Gaps in treatment or failing to follow medical advice can negatively impact your car accident claim’s outcome. Consistent adherence to recommended treatments demonstrates the severity of your injuries and your commitment to recovery.
At Premier Med Group, our doctors accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (personal injury protection). Same-day appointments may be available. We will walk you through your treatment plan, ensuring you receive comprehensive care that best represents your needs.
Let Premier Medical Group Help You Recover
Many common car accident injuries require professional medical attention for proper healing and pain management. At Premier Med Group, we provide comprehensive care for accident victims throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
We also offer treatment for varicose veins and other chronic pain conditions. Call Premier Med Group today at (908) 904-1900 today to schedule an evaluation with our experienced team in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
FAQs
Many patients have questions about recovery after car accidents. Here are answers to some commonly asked ones about injury treatment and healing:
How long does pain usually last after a car accident?
Many mild to moderate car accident injuries show improvement within six to 12 weeks with proper medical treatment and adherence to doctor recommendations. However, severe injuries may require longer recovery periods, and some patients may experience chronic pain that requires ongoing management.
Should I see a doctor even if I feel fine after an accident?
You should always get evaluated after a car accident, even if you feel OK initially. Many serious injuries, like whiplash and concussions, can have delayed symptoms that may not appear for hours or days after the crash.
What are the most important steps after a car accident?
The first step is to ensure your immediate safety and seek appropriate medical care for any common car accident injuries. Following that, document everything about the accident and your injuries, get copies of all medical records and police reports, and maintain consistent communication with your healthcare providers and insurance company.
What should you avoid after whiplash?
Do not do anything that makes the pain worse. Take it easy for a couple of days. You can do your usual activities if they do not hurt your neck or put it at risk for more stress or injury. Avoid lifting, sports, or other activities that might strain your neck.
What is myofascial pain syndrome after MVA?
After a car crash, the pain of muscle injuries sometimes becomes chronic, resulting in Myofascial Pain Syndrome (MPS). Acute muscle injury can trigger tender points that develop into Myofascial Pain Syndrome.
What is chronic pain syndrome after a car accident?
Chronic pain happens over time after an injury from an accident has healed. It can be caused by inflammation, nerve damage, and muscle tension. The good news is that there are treatments for chronic pain after a car accident.
What are the delayed symptoms after a car accident?
Individuals might also have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other psychological conditions afterward. Such emotional and mental strains can manifest as physical symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, and even muscle pain, days or weeks after the accident.
Do muscle relaxers help after a car accident?
Muscle relaxants can be used for the management of strained neck or back as well as for all-over muscle stiffness occurring from trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident. It is usually used on a short-term basis for pain relief.
What are the red flags after a car accident?
Deep cuts, lacerations, broken bones, significant bleeding, and other visible injuries require immediate medical attention. It’s crucial to control bleeding and prevent infection, something best achieved in a hospital setting.
What are the lingering injuries after a car accident?
Even seemingly minor injuries sustained in a car accident can lead to chronic pain and long-term disability. Conditions such as chronic back pain, joint dysfunction, and nerve damage may persist for years, requiring ongoing medical treatment and rehabilitation.
What are the common symptoms/signs of nerve damage you should watch after a car accident?
Numbness or Tingling (Pins and Needles Sensation), Muscle Weakness, Sharp, Burning, or Shooting Pain, Loss of Reflexes, Chronic or Unexplained Pain, Sensitivity to Touch or Temperature are some of the common symptoms/signs of nerve damage that should be watched for after a car accident.
