How to Identify if Your Post Car Accident Pain is Serious

Car accident injuries can range from mild to serious, but it can be difficult to tell which. You might not even realize you’re injured right after your car accident because of the adrenaline and shock. Symptoms could be delayed by days or weeks, but when they occur it could be a sign your post car accident pain is serious. Here are some symptoms that you should look out for.

Pain in Neck, Shoulders, or Arms

The most common forms of post-car accident pain you need to look out for are neck, shoulder, or arm pain. It may not appear right after the car accident. You might experience pain days or even weeks later, but if it does appear, monitor the severity of the pain. If it gets worse or is accompanied by stiffness, headaches, restricted movement in the neck or shoulders, blurred or double vision, dizziness, or ringing in the ears then it could be a sign of whiplash.

This common car accident injury happens when your head jerks quickly back and forth causing a strain in your neck and shoulder muscles. The symptoms might not show right away, but if they do seek medical attention. If not treated properly, this can lead to chronic pain in your neck, chronic headaches, and even tinnitus.

Persistent Headache

Headaches after a car accident are fairly common and not always a sign that your post car accident pain is serious. However, headaches that are recurring, persistent, or more painful than normal could be a sign that your injury is more serious than you thought. Other symptoms to watch out for are slurred speech, drowsiness, double vision, nausea, mood changes, sensitivity to light or sound, or memory loss. These could be signs of a concussion, whiplash, a fracture, or a pinched nerve. It’s important to seek medical care as soon as you can if you’ve hit your head during the accident or suffered any kind of traumatic head injury as it could also increase your risk for a stroke.

Abdominal Pain or Nausea

Long term damage to the soft tissue could be numbness, pain, limited mobility, limited muscle strength, or even loss of function. However, you can treat the areas with proper warm ups before exertion, rest, ice, compression and elevation. If the area still gives you trouble, see your local chiropractor for professional care.

Chest Pain

If you’ve been experiencing post-car accident pain in your chest, that can be a sign that your injury is serious. Trouble breathing, discomfort, and pain when coughing or sneezing, or moving can be symptoms of a rib fracture or pulmonary contusion. These could cause long-term issues with your lungs or heart, so if you experience chest pain, get checked over as soon as possible.

Tingling or Numbness

A sign of severe injury is tingling or numbness. If your post car accident pain includes tingling, numbness, back pain, limited mobility, or shooting pain that could be nerve or tissue damage and you will likely need physical therapy or long-term care. Sciatica, herniated discs, and paralysis are all symptoms of nerve and tissue damage. To prevent chronic pain or to prevent your condition from getting worse, seek medical care as soon as possible.

Swelling or Stiffness

If you’re experiencing pain from injuries after an auto accident, let us help you overcome it. At Essential Chirocare, we promise the best of care to ease or eliminate short-term or chronic pain. If you want to learn more, check out this eBook.

When in Doubt

See a medical professional if you are unsure how serious your post-car accident pain is, especially if your pain is accompanied by a fever, it gets worse instead of better, or you are experiencing mood changes or eating habit changes. When it comes to your health, it’s better to act with caution. Even if your pain turns out to be not serious, seeing a medical professional will ease your worry.

Move Forward

Car accidents can have a lifelong impact, but your pain doesn’t have to be lifelong too. Essential Chirocare can help you regain control over your body if you are experiencing lingering post-car accident pain. We find and treat the root cause of your pain to improve your quality of life. Contact Essential Chirocare for your free consultation to move better and move forward.