After a Car Accident, Neck and Back Injuries Should Be Taken Seriously
When a person is involved in a car accident, the chances are good and that there will be injuries to the neck and back. However, these injuries aren’t always taken as seriously as they should be, mainly because people don’t realize they’re experiencing symptoms. These injuries need to be treated right away, so it’s important to know what to look for.
Back Injuries
In the most serious car crashes, the spine, which runs down the middle of the back, is at risk for breaking. Vertebrae, those little bones that make up the spine, may also break and cause great injury.
Many people think that when they have a spinal cord injury they’ll know right away. In severe cases this is true, but sometimes back and spinal injuries take time to present themselves. The symptoms to watch for indicating a back injury are:
- Pain: Not only in the back, but also the neck, shoulders, and arms.
- Limb numbness: Any loss of feeling in the legs or arms should be treated right away.
- Lack of muscle control: The spine controls just about all movement in the human body. When spine injuries are present there may be uncontrollable contracting of the muscles, or they may relax inexplicably.
Neck Injuries
Neck injuries can be even more difficult to detect than back injuries. The symptoms of neck injuries are very similar to those of back injuries, including numbness, pain, and stiffness. The most common neck injuries resulting from car accidents are:
- Pinched nerves.
- Neck sprain, especially within the ligaments and tissues.
- Neck strain, different from a sprain in that the ligaments and tissues are actually torn and not just stretched.
- Herniated discs, slipped discs.
Neck and back injuries both are some of the most serious an individual can suffer even when they don’t immediately experience symptoms. If you have been in a car accident, no matter how severe, and have experienced any of these symptoms since, seek medical treatment immediately. Even if you don’t think you’ve been injured, x-rays and other tests may determine otherwise.
For more information, call Steele Law, P.C. at (214) 333-9393.