Car accidents can be a stressful and scary experience for everyone involved. It can be emotionally traumatizing and also lead to physical trauma as well. Many people experience aches and pains after a car accident. One of the most common reactions to a car accident is neck pain. A general rule of thumb with car accidents is that if your vehicle sustained any damage during the accident then it is likely that your body did too. Don’t skip out on visiting a car accident doctor to get checked out after a car accident injury. If you wait to see if the pain and discomfort goes away on its own, you might end up with an undiagnosed injury or even develop chronic pain. Some chiropractors specialize in car accident injuries and can help provide you with quality and effective treatment for neck pain.
How a Car Accident Can Cause Neck Pain
The head and neck are more likely to develop an injury during a car accident because they are not as well protected. The seat belt is designed to prevent you from getting ejected from the vehicle during a car accident. While the seat belt can also keep you from serious injury, it only secures you from shoulder to waist, which leaves your head and neck vulnerable to injury. When a car accident happens, it can cause such a strong force that your body is jostled around and shaken up. If you are wearing your seat belt properly then you may sustain less damage, but you are still at risk for injury if your neck is violently jolted or your head hits part of the car.
Common Neck Injuries after a Car Accident
The most common neck injury after a car accident is whiplash. Many people get diagnosed with whiplash because of how much more susceptible the neck is to injury than other parts of the body that are properly restrained by safety features in the vehicle. Whiplash occurs when the head is forced violently forward and then backward, causing the muscles in the neck to strain and stretch out of their normal range of motion. This can also put too much pressure on the spinal cord in the neck and lead to spinal misalignments and other neck injuries.
Another common neck injury from a car accident is a herniated disc. When the force of the accident causes your head and neck to get shaken up, it can disrupt the natural alignment of your spine in your neck and back. A herniated disc refers to an issue with the spinal discs that separate each vertebra in your spine. The pressure can cause a disc to slip or bulge out of place, which can put pressure on nearby nerve endings and even cause two vertebrae to grind together. A herniated disc can also lead to a pinched nerve, which can send painful and uncomfortable signals from your neck and into your extremities.
Treating Neck Pain after a Car Accident
Visit a car accident doctor as soon as possible after you have been in a wreck to get a thorough examination and scan for injuries. Whiplash, herniated discs, and even pinched nerves can have delayed symptoms, which means it can take hours or even days for the pain and other symptoms to fully appear. However, your car accident doctor can spot the signs and symptoms of a serious car accident injury before all your symptoms show up and can help you start a comprehensive treatment plan right away. For an all-natural and non-invasive approach to treating neck pain after a car accident, a chiropractor who specializes in car accident injuries can help.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help with Neck Pain
Chiropractors use gentle, therapeutic adjustments to resolve any misalignments in the spine with vertebrae and spinal discs. This can alleviate pressure on nearby nerves and resolve pinched nerve symptoms. They can also provide therapeutic support to damaged muscles and soft tissue in the neck from an injury like whiplash through gentle massage, safe adjustments, and other manual and non-invasive approaches. Experience how chiropractic care can help you resolve neck pain after a car accident by visiting Pro-Care Medical Center and meet with our team of highly trained and skilled car accident doctors today.
