Most Common Soft Tissue Injuries After An Auto Accident
Many car accidents leave victims with severe injuries ranging from severely broken bones to a not so apparent soft tissue injury.
Soft tissue injuries are prevalent, but they are often dismissed as minor, and people think they will just go away on their own.
Sometimes that's true, but more often than not, if a soft tissue injury is left untreated, it will continue to get worse until treatment is received.
That's why, no matter how you feel after a car crash, you should see a car accident doctor as soon as possible.
A doctor will be able to diagnose your soft-tissue injuries and design a treatment plan so you can start recovering right away.
If you don't see a doctor right away, long term injuries can develop.
Here's How To Avoid Long-Term Cost Of Medical Care After A Car Accident.
Soft tissue injuries are typical, but what exactly are they? How many types of soft tissue injuries are there? Which ones occur during car accidents?
We'll take a look at those questions and more in the article below.
Table of Contents
What Is A Soft Tissue Injury?
Common Soft Tissue Injuries From Car Accidents
Whiplash
Sprains
Strains
Contusions
Herniated Discs
When Should I See a Doctor After a Car Accident?
Chiropractic Care For Soft Tissue Injuries
Contact Advanced Injury Care
What Is A Soft Tissue Injury?
Soft tissue injuries are injuries to your soft tissues or your connective tissue - your muscles, tendons, and ligaments - rather than the harder bones.
The result can be pain, swelling, bruising, and other damage.
The sudden force of a car wreck can cause the soft tissues in your body to move far behind their normal range of motion, leading to soft tissue injuries.
The one thing common among all soft tissue injuries is that they all need medical attention.
The degree of severity will vary among different injuries, so the only way to know how serious your injury is and how much damage was done is to see a doctor.
To avoid long-term complications, don't put off receiving medical treatment after a car accident, even if your soft tissue injuries seem minor.
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Common Soft Tissue Injuries From Car Accidents
Whiplash
Whiplash is perhaps the most typical soft tissue injury to sustain during a car accident.
Whiplash doesn't always cause immediate pain, but the pain will worsen in the days following your accident.
When your head experiences a sudden trauma due to a rapid back and forth motion, similar to the cracking of a whip, you will likely suffer a whiplash injury.
Be mindful of things like sharp neck pain and stiffness or trouble concentrating, which are sure signs of whiplash.
The symptoms of whiplash may begin to set in hours or even days after the accident, but whiplash is best treated with medical care immediately after the accident.
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Sprains
Sprains are soft tissue injuries that can occur during a car accident when the sudden impact jolts your body, causing the ligaments that connect your bones to be overstretched.
Neck sprains (whiplash) often occur in car accidents, and in some cases, you may even tear your ligaments.
Some symptoms of sprains are:
pain or bruises around the area
swelling or inflammation
impaired flexibility
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Strains
Strains are also soft tissue injuries, and they are similar to sprains, caused by the sudden jolt in car accidents.
Strains, though, are injuries to the tendons that connect the muscles to bones or to the muscle itself.
Symptoms of strains are:
tenderness or bruising in the area of pain
inflammation or swelling
muscle spasms
limited range of motion
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Contusions
Contusions are also soft tissue injuries.
A contusion is just a fancy word for a bruise.
Bruising happens when your blood vessels are struck with enough force to damage them enough to cause blood to leak into the surrounding tissue.
This is very common during car accidents.
Bruises are pretty typical in an accident, but after a car accident, they can cover a significant portion of your body.
A bruise is often an indicator of another, more severe injury, like a sprain, strain, or broken bone.
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Herniated Discs
A herniated disc is another typical soft tissue accident injury.
The discs in your back act as a cushion between your vertebrae, and they can become displaced during a crash.
This is also known as a herniation.
When this happens, it can cause nerve pain and a feeling of numbness in your back and legs.
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When Should I See a Doctor After a Car Accident?
The easiest answer to this question is right away, no matter what. Seeking medical attention as soon as possible is always in your best interest.
Many accident victims refuse medical care, thinking their soft tissue injuries are minor or that they aren't injured at all, because soft tissue injuries may lay dormant for days or even weeks.
You should never skip treatment after a car accident. Even if all a doctor does is tell you you are fine, it is much better than skipping the doctor and have an injury get worse as time goes on.
If another driver's negligence caused your car accident injuries, you need to have your injuries documented as soon as possible, usually within three days of the accident.
If you want to be compensated for any injuries that may develop, you need them to be documented as soon as possible.
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Chiropractic Care For Soft Tissue Injuries
Apart from emergency medical care at the accident scene, the next best thing you can do is see a car accident chiropractor.
It's easy to ignore slight aches and pains after you've been in a car accident, thinking they will go away.
However, they don't always go away on their own, but chiropractor care can help you eliminate them.
From severe whiplash to minor bruising, chiropractic care has helped countless car accident victims.
Through the use of chiropractic adjustments to the spine, chiropractors help realign your body, decrease inflammation, reduce nerve irritability, and relieve pressure.
Your chiropractor will also give you things you can do at home, like stretches and exercises, to help speed up your recovery.
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Contact Advanced Injury Care
These were just a few of the common types of soft tissue injuries.
Chiropractic care after a car accident is crucial for a speedy recovery, no matter how you've been injured.
The chiropractors at Advanced Injury Care have one goal in mind, and that is to help car accident victims with their physical and financial recovery.
With state of the art chiropractic care as well as providing patients with attorney referrals, they can do just that.
This allows all car accident victims to heal from their injuries with safe, all-natural treatment, while an experienced personal injury attorney handles the insurance companies and the financial side of the recovery.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, reach out to Advanced Injury Care today.
Click the button below to schedule your Free Consultation.