Car Accident Injuries
Overview of Accidents
You are driving down the street, approaching a stop light, and WHAM! Your neck is thrown forward, your torso is jerked upward, and your arms are caught in the steering wheel. Sirens sound as an ambulance transports you to the nearest emergency room, where you get treated quickly, and then discharged with a sprain or a strain. You return home only to be suffering from severe headaches, nausea, back pain and stiffness. Next morning, you awake and your entire body is stiff. You can hardly get out of bed, but you slowly make your way into the shower, where the water pressure is painful to the skin.
Now what? Well, most of us wait four or five days until the pain subsides, and then return to our normal daily routine. Have you ever stopped to think about how your nervous system and musculoskeletal system responded to this “mechanical disruption”? Our bodies are systems that are programmed by our daily routine. Over the years, the body experiences micro-trauma (small amounts of trauma that occur over a period of time) that we essentially adapt to. If macro-trauma (in this case, an automobile accident) occurs, then a change in adaptation occurs. Over time, micro-trauma is known to cause degenerative changes within the joint structures. When macro-trauma occurs, degenerative changes occur at a quicker rate causing more severe and permanent problems.
There are many reasons to get evaluated and treated properly when dealing with macro-trauma (or in this case, an automobile accident). The biggest reason, from a medical standpoint, is to eliminate the possibility of a problem to become permanent. Most who seek treatment immediately, or at least a few days following a motor vehicle accident, will more than likely go on to lead healthy, pain-free lives. Those who wait more than a week may face problems including hypoxia to the muscles, weakness, numbness and tingling and poor sleep.
Those who go thru the emergency room following any accident, need to understand that if you only had a hospital visit, you only had emergency care. When choosing a physician, make sure the type of therapy is relevant to your injuries. Choose an office that has experience with vehicle accidents; choose an office with over ten years of clinical experience; choose Advanced Physical Medicine. Understand that most vehicle insurances cover treatments, whether it was your fault or not.
