Every year car crashes result in millions of people being injured or debilitated. Statistics from the Association for Safe International Road Travel reveal that typically around 2.35 million people are injured or disabled in a year.
What kind of problems arises out of a car accident?
Let us take a closer look at the type of injuries that can occur due to a car accident and what impact they have on the victims.
Herniated Discs
We are all aware that the most common injuries that occur in car crashes are strain in the neck or back, also known as whiplash. However, such injuries can lead to more serious problems known as herniated discs. When the tissue between the vertebrae of the spine is ruptured it is called herniated disc. When this happens, the herniated disc puts pressure on the nerves and they get swollen and cause severe pain. This inflammation of the nerves coming out of the spine can also lead to loss of feeling or loss of control over one’s muscles, which means in the arms and legs. Such symptoms can show up soon after the event or sometimes can develop much later after an accident, causing long-term disability. Injuries like these, may lead to disability and require surgery.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Injuries that affect the brain are known as traumatic brain injuries. This can happen when the head suddenly moves back and forth or hits something inside the car during an accident. Traumatic brain injuries or TBI can lead to long-term damage to the brain. Sometimes these injuries are not noticed immediately following an accident. They surface after a couple of weeks or even months when the person observes that he or she is becoming forgetful. The victim may sometimes undergo a personality change or become extremely irritable and angry, which is contrary to the normal condition prior to the accident. Signs of TBI include suffering a concussion, becoming unconscious or having headaches after a car crash. If such symptoms are observed, the victim may have to consult a neurologist to rule out TBI.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are varied and can happen due to various reasons. For example, during an accident, a person can get pushed forward and hit the knee directly on the dashboard causing knee trauma. As a result the victim may end up with a shattered patella or knee cap. In this condition, the cartilage of the knee gets damaged and results in a torn meniscus or patellar chondromalacia. Another painful condition can occur when a driver applies sudden breaks with such force to avoid an accident, that his knee gets compressed. Such a situation can land him into a painful condition that may need surgery later. Injuries like these may not be obvious immediately after the crash. They appear slowly but gradually become severe and inflamed.
Shoulder Injuries
Your shoulder is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body in a car accident. Shoulders are susceptible to many different types of injuries like shoulder strain, deep bruising and severe tearing of the shoulder ligaments. This is because the seatbelt of a motor vehicle wraps only one shoulder, leaving the other free. When an accident occurs and the body is pushed forward, the force or impact is usually on one shoulder. Shoulder injuries should never be ignored as they can become worse over a period of time. If you are suffering from a shoulder injury following a car crash, you need to seek medical treatment right away.
What to expect mentally after a car accident:
Psychological Injuries Motor vehicle accidents are traumatic events and affect us in many different ways. They not only cause physical harm to our bodies in the form of injuries, but also affect our psychological and emotional state of mind. For example, those who have been involved in serious car crashes and survived, can develop a phobia or fear of driving or travelling in a car. Sometimes the fear becomes so severe that the person develops an aversion to travelling by any mode of transport. Hence, it is very important to provide psychological care to the victim at the earliest. Psychologists are trained and use various techniques to assist their patients suffering from phobias. When you come across a person who is afraid of driving a car after an accident, he or she must be taken for psychological treatment. If left untreated, such phobias can become long-term problems and may be difficult to treat. Car accidents often result in many injuries but these injuries are not noticed immediately after the event. Most of them surface after a couple of weeks or months and by then they would have become worse or more difficult to treat. Hence it is important to seek prompt medical attention from qualified and trained healthcare professionals after an accident. A thorough check-up by a physician right after the accident is definitely invaluable.
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We have treated hundreds of patients with various musculoskeletal pain and injuries and we are proud to introduce the Simply Align Technique (Trademark Pending). This technique is rendered after an assessment is done by one of our qualified healthcare providers. We offer a wide range of treatments for pain relief that include Physiotherapy, Massage, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Psychotherapy and Footcare services. Our services include tools and techniques for our patients to function optimally and live pain and worry-free. Our Physiotherapy is very unique and different from many other clinics. We use advanced healing and pain relief technology in form of physical therapy modalities to address almost all musculoskeletal injuries and chronic conditions.
