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Motor Vehicle accidents that result in an abrupt stop can cause severe injuries. Neck pain after a car accident is the most common form of damage, even following a minor injury. However, injuries to the vertebral column and spinal cord could cause permanent disability or even death.
Some injuries require emergency medical treatment, but even mild discomfort could indicate something more sinister. Your primary care doctor may not be able to treat injuries associated with a car crash, so seeking medical care from injury doctors may be necessary.
The collision from a car accident causes an abrupt and often violent stop that can cause severe damage to the human body, like broken bones. Many car accident injuries include soft tissue injuries, spinal injuries, neck injuries, and back injuries.
Some common auto accident injuries causing neck and back pain include:
If you have a history of back pain, your risk for injury following auto accidents is significantly higher than someone without previous injuries. Diagnosis of these injuries typically occurs through imaging, such as X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and treatment can vary from ongoing physical or occupational therapy to emergency surgery depending on the severity of the injury.
A car accident doctor will likely ask you questions such as:
You may struggle to answer these in the immediate aftermath, but any information you can provide helps the doctor better understand the nature of your accident and how that could affect your body. For example, a rear-end accident at even low speed could cause whiplash.
Whiplash is the most common cause of neck pain after a car accident. It occurs when the rapid movement of the neck in a back-and-forth motion causes microscopic tears to the soft tissue of the neck. It gets its name from the imagery of a cracking whip.
Some refer to it as a neck sprain or strain, but those could refer to other types of injuries as well.
Symptoms of whiplash include:
Some people also experience sensory or behavioral issues, such as depression, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, trouble with concentration, problems with memory, feeling irritable, and having trouble sleeping. The most common cause is car accidents involving rear-end collisions.
Back pain after a car accident can be latent or occur immediately following the accident. Sometimes it may present with minor discomfort and progress into more severe injury.
Common immediate symptoms include:
Spinal cord injuries often present with immediate symptoms and typically indicate a severe injury. A car accident doctor may offer pain management medications immediately before diagnosis.
Some common delayed symptoms of neck or back injuries include:
There is no universal explanation for neck or back pain after a car accident. Injuries vary in presentation, but the most common cause of delayed symptoms following a car accident often relates to the shock you experience.
The body’s natural response to shock is an overproduction of adrenaline into the bloodstream to help prepare your body for the pain. Adrenaline can continue to pump through your veins for hours or even more than a day, blocking pain receptors and deceptively masking injuries. As the adrenaline starts to subside, you begin to feel the pain, often in quick progression.
Another possible reason for delayed symptoms or pain is that some injuries take more time to develop. Swelling and bruising do not immediately appear. Sometimes it can take hours or even days for the pain to become more apparent.
Even a minor fender bender can result in serious injuries that cause pain and discomfort. Back and neck pain after a car accident often indicates severe injuries. The experienced car accident doctors at Medical Clinics of New York City treat car accident victims with neck and back pain every day.
They offer quality care and comprehensive services. They can communicate with your primary care physician, insurance company, and with your car accident lawyer if you have a pending personal injury claim. Our specialists provide proper documentation for your medical records and the right treatment plan for your specific injuries and medical condition.
With offices located in several areas around New York City, you can get the assessment and treatment that you need conveniently and quickly. We accept no-fault insurance, PIP (Personal Injury Protection), workers’ compensation, and other health insurance plans.
Patients can experience caring customer service, in a warm, stress-free office environment. Request your appointment online with Medical Clinics of New York City today. Call us today and get on the way to full recovery after a car crash.
The doctors of Medical Clinics of New York City are dedicated to quality care, comprehensive services, and caring customer service in a warm, stress-free office setting.
We’re conveniently located in New York City with several offices to serve you.
