The days immediately following a car accident can be a tense and confusing time.We are often so focused on dealing with insurance claims, scheduling tows and auto body repair appointments that we often neglect our own body’s reaction to the trauma of a car accident. It’s easy to get caught up in the emotions and logistics of the situation and neglect signs of injury your body may be trying to communicate to you. By closely listening to your body, you can pick up on important cues to seek care after a car accident, thus avoiding pain, immobility, and diminished enjoyment of life months and years down the road.

If you’ve suffered a sports injury or been in a car accident, there’s a possibility that you have whiplash. Whiplash isn’t so much a condition as a cluster of symptoms that may appear after your head and neck are subjected to back-and-forth or side-to-side jerking motions that are both severe and sudden, common movements that can happen in the impact of an auto accident.

Because these movements can injure the tissues, nerves, and bones in your cervical spine, whiplash can, if left untreated, lead to serious and possibly permanent damage and disability. So, if you’ve been in an accident, it’s important that you get checked right away even if you don’t feel anything at first.

The three main signs that you need care after a car accident are:

1. Stiffness of the Upper Body: Whiplash occurs when the neck and head experience a forceful back-forth motion and mostly occurs during an auto collision. The most common sign of whiplash is stiffness in the upper body, including the head, neck, arms, shoulders, or upper back. Regardless of when symptoms are felt, any stiffness in the upper body can indicate the potential for long-term chronic pain. With the help of immediate care, you can reduce your whiplash pain and stiffness with a realignment of the spine using state-of-the art treatments like spinal decompression. Laser therapy also has significant impact on the chronic pain issues following an auto accident.
2. Numbness or Pain in the Joints: When you are involved in an auto accident, part of the impact is absorbed by your body. An impact this strong can knock your joints out of whack, thus compressing your nerves. When your nerves are pinched, you may feel pain or numbness. Symptoms such as these should not be ignored; at Twin Hills Health Center, we can help get joints back to their proper place and ease the nerves with laser treatments to relieve numbness and pain.
3. Inflammation: Inflammation occurs when the body activates its natural healing response. The body sends white blood cells into the affected tissue or blood, which can constrict the nerves, causing pain, redness, immobility, swelling, and heat. Seeking the proper care quickly will reduce inflammation in the musculoskeletal system by stretching out affected ligaments or muscles to relieve soft tissue and help the area heal.

If you notice any of these three signs after being involved in a car accident, seeking care is imperative. Contact us at Twin Hills Health Center and we will help you find a treatment plan, work with your auto insurance carrier, to restore your health to optimum levels.