Neck pain after car accident

Car accidents are common nowadays and their occurrence cause immediate confusion that usually leaves the casualties in a state where they don’t realize that they are injured. Therefore, such individuals end up experiencing post car accident symptoms that can take a substantial period to recognize. Thus, it is important that whenever people are involved in any car accident, whether they still feel okay in the moments after such incident, to go to a therapist for neck pain diagnosis and after trauma services. Such a decision is significant because if such an accident is taken lightly it can cause whiplash, a condition that is characterized by a vigorous forward and backward movement of the head, thereby causing neck pain. Moreover, there are different reasons why it is important for the patient to seek the attention of the therapist immediately after an accident.

Firstly, a car accident affects different tissues of the neck including joints, muscles, bone, nerves, and ligaments. Whiplash in particular cause transformations to other body mechanisms, especially those that support body balance, hearing, cognitive processing, and vision. Therefore, the casualty need to see the therapist immediately after the accident for the necessary therapeutic massages to align such affected tissues into their normal functioning. Otherwise, failure to seek such immediate services can lead to post-car accidents, including neck and shoulder pains, lingering headaches, concussion, post-trauma stress, tension, swelling and stiffness, burning sensation, bruising and discoloration, numbness, and abnormal pain and nausea. Therefore, the physician is responsible for examining the state of the patient, thereby offering a relevant prescription or diagnosis to avert post-car accident symptoms.

Secondly, sometimes car accidents can cause internal bleeding and break the facet joints that cannot be easily seen by human eyes. Therefore, however how the patient is feeling alright needs to be examined by medical experts to help in fixing any broken or affected internal tissues. For instance, facet joints are usually two and are found on either side of the hind of each vertebra in the neck. Such joints are responsible for neck movements, including nodding the head or turning. Moreover, such parts are amalgamated by cartilage in the neck, surrounded by a capsule containing synovial fluid, thus susceptible to injury during car accidents. Therefore, the patient must seek the therapist’s attention for examination of such joints through standard X-rays because, unlike cracks or fissures in the lumbar region, such joints cannot be readily seen through the naked eyes. The physician can do a CT scan to assess more information regarding the affected spinal structure. Thus, immediate scanning of the neck area can help to assess the affected facet joints, thereby recommending the most suitable treatment process.

Thirdly, other accidents that result from stiff neck or other delayed signs can develop if the causality assumes that he or she is surprisingly fine immediately after a car accident. Some of such mishaps that follow after stiff neck include auto accident that is responsible for whiplash injury, especially when the passenger is hit from behind, fall from height that can effectuate serious bodily concussion, recreational accident, and high-impact sports collision, especially during car-sporting activities or during soccer or hockey when players crash into each other. Therefore, any type of hit on the neck area require immediate attention from the qualified medical professional. Hence, it is important for the patients to comply to the therapist’s guidelines before proceeding with their normal activities.

Overall, car accidents cause significant effects to the casualties, including neck pain. However, most patients never experience such effects immediately an accident occurs. Therefore, such a situation necessitates the importance for such casualties to see the physical therapist immediately for therapeutic massage services, examination and diagnosis of facet joints, and prevent other subsequent or post car accident symptoms, including accidents associated with neck or head regions. Hence, the physician is responsible to examine, diagnose, scan, and offer relevant treatment for any neck problem, especially from a car accident.