Five Hidden Injuries to Watch Out for Following a Car Accident

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Every car wreck is unique, and so is every victim’s recovery. Some people have a straightforward path back to their pre-crash level of health and wellness, but some victims experience chronic pain that lingers for months after a car accident. If you’re experiencing chronic pain after a car accident, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Many car accident victims find themselves in a similar situation.

If you’ve had an auto accident, be aware of the following five injuries or reach out to your regenerative medicine Los Angeles specialist today.

Whiplash

Whiplash or neck strain is one of the most prevalent injuries during car accidents. That’s because whiplash is experienced when your head is forced back and forth, very quickly during impact.

Without proper treatment, you can suffer from a neck injury for weeks, months, or sometimes even years. Our pain doctor Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Westlake Village, Long Beach, Torrance, and La Cañada work with whiplash patients to alleviate their pain, rebuild their range of motion, and prevent future complications.

Concussion

A different yet more harmful injury sustained in car accidents is a concussion. You may not feel its symptoms right away, but delayed treatment can result in a longer recovery time.  A concussion is a traumatic brain injury, usually caused by a shock to the head. You can experience a concussion without ever losing consciousness.

Symptoms may be delayed, and you might not notice them right away. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms:

Back or Spine Injuries

Injuries to your spine, even severe ones, are not always apparent right away. If you’ve been in a serious accident, or even if the event was minor but you have major trauma to your neck or your head, it’s best to assume you've suffered a spinal cord injury.

Swelling and bleeding in or around your spinal cord can produce numbness or paralysis that you can experience gradually. It’s important to receive treatment immediately after a car accident if there’s any likelihood you might have a spinal cord injury.

Less severe, but still of concern, is a gradually progressing back injury. Just as the muscles in your neck can be hurt as the result of a car accident, so can the muscles of your back. You might not notice aching muscles or an injury until a day or two later. Using regenerative medicine Los Angeles practices your physician can help soothe those muscles to pre-accident performance.

Sprains, Strains, or Other Soft Tissue Injuries

You may not think that it’s even possible that your lower extremities would be injured in a car accident, but it’s quite common. Just like the muscles in your neck and back, the muscles in other parts of your body may not exhibit pain right away. Wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries are typical and may take days to begin causing pain.

Internal Injuries

Just as serious spinal cord injuries can develop gradually, so can different internal injuries. Internal bleeding may not be instantly apparent but can be life-threatening. It’s critical to seek treatment following a car accident, particularly if it’s more than a slow-speed collision. If you start feeling pain in the days after an auto accident, seek medical treatment. Your pain may be associated with injuries suffered during your crash.

Recovering From an Accident with our Pain Doctor Los Angeles

If you’re experiencing pain after a car accident and need a proper diagnosis and treatment plan for your pain, our pain doctor Los Angeles will provide you with customized care.  Our goal is to always provide unparalleled patient care, returning you to a productive and pain-free lifestyle after an auto accident. This personalized approach is designed to target the root cause of the pain through the use of interventional procedures, such as platelet-rich plasma injections, spinal cord stimulation, epidural steroid injections, as well as other innovative techniques. All of which are regenerative medicine Los Angeles techniques designed to help you regain your quality of life and most importantly relieve your pain. The Interventional Pain Doctors team is made up of a highly trained, certified team of experienced professionals, including Dr. Nicholas Fuller, Dr. Chad Heng, Dr. Daniel Loder, and Dr. Jeffrey Jeng. With offices in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, California, we want to provide quality care where you need it most. For more information on our services or to schedule an appointment with our team of pain doctor Los Angeles, contact us today.