How to Treat Back Pain from a Car Accident
Car collisions can be expensive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), vehicle crashes has cost the US $1 trillion in 2010. For those personally involved in the accident, they have to pay to get their car fixed and their health checked.
Injuries from car accidents alone can cost thousands of dollars. A moderate whiplash injury, for example, can cost a person up to $7,000. If the injury is severe, not only will you lose money for hospitalization but also for losing work. This said it’s essential that you do your best to recover from your injuries as fast as you can. This guide will tackle treatment for back pain, which is one of the most common car accident injuries.
How Car Accidents Cause Back Pain
During a car crash, the speed and force of the impact can create a dramatic acceleration-deceleration which the body may not be prepared for. Your body might be shoved forward suddenly, thus causing your head to snap back and then forwards. This motion can affect your spinal disc or facet joint. In other words, it will lead to back pain afterward.
Back Pain Symptoms
In the first few minutes after the accident, your first priority is to check that you and all your other passengers are safe. Since the symptoms of back pain are not always easy to detect, you need time to thoroughly assess yourself. Here are things that will surely tell you that you suffer from back pain:
- When you feel tingling, arm pain, numbness, and leg pain, you might be suffering from disc herniation. It is caused by the discs absorbing the impact.
- Pain, weakness, numbness, and difficulty in walking are symptoms of spondylolisthesis. This happens when the bone has pressed on the spinal canal or on the nerves.
- If you suffer from moderate to a severe back pain that becomes even worse when you attempt to move, then you may be suffering from a spinal fracture. This condition happens when the upper and lower body has pulled the vertebrae apart.
Ways to Deal with Back Pain
Once you’ve verified that you’re suffering from back pain, you need to quickly seek treatment. Depending on the severity of your injury, it may take you weeks or years to fully recover. It’s advised that you do the following:
One: Visit a doctor
Immediately after the accident, you must visit a doctor. Do this especially if you don’t have the professional knowledge to say make self-diagnosis. A medical professional will instruct you on your next move. Usually, moderate to severe back pains need specialized attention from a chiropractor.
Two: Seek treatment from a chiropractor
A chiropractor can assess your overall condition better and can determine whether or not there are underlying problems caused by the accident. Usually, injuries don’t present themselves right after the accident. They may appear days or weeks afterward.
Once an injury has been detected, you can seek treatment to stop chronic pain and avoid further complications.
Three: Try trusted home remedies
So what do you do on the days when you don’t have an appointment to see your chiropractor? You can try some home remedies to ease the pain. Cold or hot compress is one example. You need to apply it for 15 minutes in the affected area.
It’s also best that you avoid moving too much and doing heavy work. You can ask your doctor whether you are allowed to undergo massage therapy to speed up your recovery.
Conclusion
The best way to recover from any car injury is by following the instructions of your doctor diligently. Their instructions can make a big difference in your recovery time.
