My Back was Injured in a Car Accident, What Should I Do?

Was Your Back Injured in a Car Accident?

If you have been in a car accident and think that you may have suffered a back injury, it is important to receive medical attention immediately.

Serious back injuries can result in complications such as nerve damage or paralysis.

Even in minor car accidents, back injuries can lead to grave consequences if not diagnosed and treated properly.

If you have suffered a back injury because of an auto accident, one of the best forms of treatment that you can receive is chiropractic car.

Chiropractors are specially trained in the musculoskeletal system and can use their education to diagnose back injuries and develop treatment programs that prevent further injuries, reduce pain and promote the healing process.

Check out our Guide to Chiropractic Treatment for Car Accident Injuries

In this blog, we explore back injuries associated with car accidents and how chiropractors can help treat back pain.

If you have been in a car accident, one of the first steps you should take is to seek out proper medical treatment.

Many injuries that are sustained in car accidents do not show symptoms for some time after the crash.

By the time that you feel the pain from your injuries, more serious damage could have occurred that would have otherwise been preventable.

Choosing to avoid medical attention after your accident is also a bad decision because it can lead to you having to pay for costly medical treatments and other expenses, where that responsibility should have fallen on the party responsible for your accident.

If you have been in a car accident and think that you may have suffered a back injury, it is important to try and remain as still as possible until emergency personnel arrives.

Remaining still if you think that you may have suffered a back injury is vital because sudden movements could cause further damage to your back, resulting in serious complications such as nerve damage or paralysis.

Some of the more serious types of injuries that unfortunately a common occurrence in motor vehicle accidents are back injuries.

Types of Back Injuries and Symptoms

The Human back consists of a network of interconnected tissues including Tendons, Muscles, Ligaments, Nerves, Vertebrae, Disks and the Spinal Cord.

Even in minor car accidents, any of these could become injured and lead to grave consequences if not diagnosed and treated properly.

Common Back Injuries Resulting From Car Accidents

Bulging or Herniated Discs

A bulging or herniated disc occurs when pressure is forced upon the spinal column, leading to a disc being damaged, causing the soft, sponge-like center to push through the disk's exterior.

Symptoms that could mean you have a herniated or slipped disk include:

  • Tingling

  • Numbness

  • Weakness

  • Arm Pain

  • Leg Pain

Whiplash

Whiplash occurs as the result of the body being suddenly jerked forward or backward and is one of the most common injuries associated with traffic accidents.

Some of the symptoms that indicate you may be suffering from whiplash include:

  • Headaches

  • Pain and Stiffness in the Neck and Back

  • Blurred Vision

  • Dizziness

  • Fatigue

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis occurs when the vertebrae become dislocated in the back as the result of a stress fracture.

Although symptoms can go unnoticed for many years, some of the common ones that people with Spondylolisthesis experience are:

  • Pain, Numbness or Weakness in the Legs

  • Pain, Numbness or Weakness in the Buttocks

  • Loss of Bladder or Bowel Control

  • Difficulty Walking

Spinal Fractures

Spinal Fractures occur from the force exerted on the spinal column during an accident, which causes compression and damage to the bones.

Symptoms of fractures include pain, swelling, and numbness or tingling in the area of the break.

Some of the common types of fractures that occur in car accidents are:

  • Compression Fractures

  • Flexion Distraction Fractures

  • Transverse Process Fractures

  • Dislocation Fractures

Soft Tissue Damage

Soft tissue damage can include any tearing or stretching that happens to the Tendons, Muscles or Ligaments in the back.

Symptoms that you should watch out for that could indicate soft tissue damage are:

  • Mild to Excruciating pain

  • Swelling

  • Stiffness of the back

How Arrowhead Clinic Chiropractors Help Back Pain Sufferers

If you have suffered a back injury because of a traffic accident, one of the best forms of treatment that you can receive is Chiropractic.

Chiropractors are specially trained in the musculoskeletal system and can use their education to diagnose back injuries and develop treatment programs that prevent further injuries, reduce pain and promote the healing process.

As well as helping you heal physically, Personal Injury Chiropractors can also assist you with the legal details of your case.

Chiropractors specializing in traffic accidents work with personal injury attorneys and will help make sure that victims get the compensation they deserve after a car crash has left them with a back or any other type of injury.