Auto Accident Injuries: 7 Signs You May Have Whiplash
In 2019, the state of North Dakota saw a total of 14,225 auto accidents, 3,139 of those crashes being deemed as "injury crashes." Typically, these instances are counted only as injury crashes if those involved choose to seek medical attention at the time of the accident. However, millions of car accident victims walk away from these events without seeking any treatment until signs of injury become apparent hours and even days after the fact. At this point, patients end up seeking out whiplash treatment because they begin to notice new head and neck pain and muscle stiffness.
What Exactly is Whiplash?
When you are involved in a car accident, your body is forcefully thrown forward. If you are wearing your seatbelt correctly, your body will be stopped and snapped back into your seat. This forceful forward and backward motion can cause significant damage to the muscles in your neck.
However, at the moment of impact, you may not feel any pain. This is due to your body's natural fight or flight response, which releases adrenaline into your system so that you can get out of harm's way. This adrenaline reduces your body's ability to feel pain, which explains why those who suffer from whiplash do not begin to feel symptoms until after having time to calm down and decompress after the accident.
At this time, whiplash symptoms begin to set in. Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries sustained by patients. It's a soft-tissue injury of the neck and, when not treated immediately, can result in reduced range of motion, as well as chronic neck, back, and head pain.
7 Most Common Signs You May Need Whiplash Treatment
Since these symptoms don't always appear right away, many patients aren't aware that they suffer from whiplash, further delaying treatment. That's why patients must make themselves aware of these seven symptoms that may indicate they need whiplash treatment:
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Increase in headache occurrence
- Neck stiffness/decreased range of motion
- New insomnia
- New, chronic neck and back pain
- Numbness/weakness in your arms
While these may be the most common signs that you need whiplash treatment, you should ideally seek auto accident injury treatment if you feel any other unusual symptoms.
Whiplash Treatment in Fargo, ND
Car accidents are scary, stressful situations, no matter how severe they are. If you or a loved one were involved in an accident, don't wait to see out treatment to ensure that you didn't sustain an injury that could later result in more severe symptoms. Chiropractic services such as spinal manipulation and massage therapy can help you find real relief from your symptoms.
If you've recently been involved in an auto accident and require whiplash treatment, schedule your appointment today.
Posted In:
Car Accident
Chiropractic Care
Whiplash Treatment
