A car accident neck injury can be a scary occurrence. That’s because your neck is both delicate and important. Think about it: your head can move in almost any forward-facing direction. That’s an impressive amount of flexibility. Plus, your neck has to hold up the weight of your head all day, every day. Unfortunately, this can sometimes leave your neck vulnerable to injury (and make those injuries difficult to ignore).
Car accidents, after all, are not always avoidable. So when you experience one, it’s important to know what a neck injury might feel like and how you might go about seeking treatment. At Diaspo, we have decades of experience helping patients recover from a car accident neck injury that negatively impacted their mobility and quality of life.
Common No Fault Car Accident Neck Injury Types
Every car accident (and every neck) is going to be different. After all, when you get into a car accident, your neck can be struck by debris, strained by the sudden change in momentum, or more. This means any injuries you sustain will, in some way, be unique to you. That said, there are some neck injury types that are more common than others during these types of collisions.
Some of the most common injuries include the following:
- Soft tissue injuries: These injuries include damage to the soft tissue, such as strains, sprains, or even whiplash. Essentially, during the chaotic movement of a collision, the tissues of your neck become taxed beyond their capabilities. As a result, injuries occur.
- Slipped or herniated discs: There are small discs of jelly-like substances between your vertebrae. These discs can rupture or slip out of place due to a car accident, leaving bone-on-bone contact that’s quite painful.
- Cervical misalignment: In much the same way, the vertebrae of your neck can become misaligned during a car accident. This misalignment can impact your posture, your mobility, and your overall comfort level. In other words, cervical misalignment can lead to pain and discomfort.
- Pinched nerves: Your neck is full of nerves (they’re necessary to conduct sensations from your body to your brain and back again). During the course of your accident, one of your nerves can become pinched or compressed between your vertebrae. This can lead to intense and chronic pain.
How to Prevent and Care for Injuries
Not all no fault car accidents can be prevented. You can lower your risks of experiencing a car accident by taking some simple steps:
- Always wear your seatbelt.
- Obey the rules and laws of the road.
- Stay off your mobile device when driving.
In cases where accidents occur, it’s difficult to directly prevent damage to your neck. As a result, neck injuries may occur in almost any car accident.
Home Care for No Fault Car Accident-Caused Neck Injuries
If you sustain a neck injury during a car accident, you should see a car accident doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will then be able to tell you whether you can take care of your injury at home or need more significant care.
If you are told to take care of your neck injury at home, this home care may look like the following:
- Rest: Use the RICE method as instructed by your doctor. This will help contain and minimize any swelling and inflammation caused by your no fault car accident. To help control inflammation, you can attempt icing your neck for fifteen minutes several times a day.
- Pain management: if your provider tells you to use over-the-counter medication to handle your symptoms, short term use is okay. Using widely available pain medication (such as Tyelonol or Advil) can help you manage discomfort while you heal.
- Stretching and activity: It may seem counter-intuitive, but it can sometimes be worse to keep your neck stiff than to keep it moving. Make sure to talk to your provider about the best stretches and exercises you can do for your neck. Additionally, you’ll want to avoid bad posture or anything else that may exacerbate your neck injury.
Clinical Care for Neck Injuries
In some cases, your neck injury may require more intentional care. For many people, a combination of chiropractic care and physical therapy may yield fantastic results that help to alleviate symptoms.
- Chiropractic care: For many patients, chiropractic care will focus on improving the field of motion of your neck. Your chiropractor will perform spinal manipulation that will help to mobilize the vertebrae in your neck. This therapeutic movement can minimize pain, promote healing, and help you recover from your injury.
- Physical therapy: Physical therapy can likewise help you recover more quickly from your car accident. By building strength and flexibility in your neck muscles, physical therapy can improve your range of motion and promote healing in your neck. This can lead to increased neck function as you recover from your accident.
Your car accident injury doctor will develop a custom treatment plan for you depending on your injury–and your desired activity level.
Get the Care You Need From and Experienced Car Injury Doctor
Car accidents can happen without warning. So it’s comforting to receive your care from a doctor who is experienced and who can guide you through the steps of recovery. The care team at Diaspo have helped hundreds of patients recover from car accident injuries just like yours. Contact us today to get the care you need–and get back to your daily life.
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