Common Neck Injuries Caused By Auto Accidents
The neck is a complex part of the human body. It contains muscles, glands, organs, bones, ligaments, and cartilage. Because of that, neck issues are notoriously challenging to diagnose, and oftentimes, severe issues take a long time to manifest.
If you have been in a car accident recently and your neck is hurting, you need to speak to a medical provider right away. There are a lot of serious injuries with symptoms that can take days or even weeks to appear. Therefore, it is important for you to understand what types of neck injuries are most common after an accident. That way, when you start experiencing pain, you can get the care you need. Common neck injuries include the following:
Whiplash
Though it is the punch line to many sitcom jokes, whiplash is no laughing matter. It is an extreme form of neck strain, and it is caused by impact jolting your neck back and forth. This can lead to an overextension of the muscle tissue, resulting in tears.
Though the symptoms can range from mild to severe, whiplash needs to be treated as soon as possible. If left on its own, it can impact your mobility and cause pain over a lifetime.
Cervical Spine Disc Injuries
The neck holds a critical part of the spinal column: the cervical spine. This is similar to the rest of the spine in that it has vertebrae and discs. The discs help facilitate movement. After an accident, the discs in your neck can rupture, slip, bulge, and herniate. This triggers terrible pain, numbness, and loss of mobility.
Disc injuries require intensive medical care. The sooner they are treated, the better the outcome.
Cervical Spine Vertebrae Fracture
A cervical spine vertebrae fracture is also known as a broken neck. Fractures can take many forms and can affect more than one of the seven vertebrae.
Cervical fractures can be extremely painful and lead to long-term damage if not addressed. They are most commonly treated with a cervical collar, but they may also require surgery and physical therapy. Getting a diagnosis is important when it comes to a broken neck; otherwise, the damage can worsen over your lifetime.
Cervical Vertebrae Dislocation
Similar in severity as a broken neck, cervical vertebrae dislocation is another injury that calls for immediate medical care. A dislocation is when the cervical vertebrae are thrust from their natural place by a certain force. Dislocations can be mild with a slight misalignment or severe with a full dislocation away from the cervical spinal column. If not treated, the issue will worsen and cause severe pain and loss of mobility.
Muscle Spasms
Though not as severe as some of the other common neck injuries, muscle spasms can be painful. Although muscle spasms heal over time, most often they are a symptom of a larger issue such as a spinal cord injury or whiplash. So if you are having muscle spasms, see a physician immediately to determine if there is an injury triggering them.
Neck injuries should not be taken lightly. So if you are experiencing any pain in your neck following an accident, you should speak with your trusted physician.
Furthermore, it is a good idea to talk to an attorney about your circumstances. If your injuries are the result of the other driver’s actions, you need to get compensation for your damages to pay for the medical care and treatment required. An attorney can help you with that. The team at Justice Pays has been helping neck injury victims in Southwest Florida for over a combined 100 years. Give us a call today at 1-833-954-1234 to learn more.
