One of the most problematic injuries after a car accident is neck pain. The sheer force of impact can cause your neck to whip violently, causing injuries that range from minor to severe. Neck pain can last for weeks or months or even be permanent after an accident. The severity of your injury is the primary factor that determines how long the pain lasts:
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Minor injuries. Minor neck injuries like strains, sprains, pulled ligaments, and mild lacerations usually heal within a few weeks after the accident. These injuries may not require medical intervention.
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Serious injuries. Serious neck injuries include cervical fractures, herniations, disc ruptures, and serious cuts that take longer to heal and will involve medical treatment. These injuries may require 6-9 months for full healing. While some improvement should be noticeable by 4-6 weeks, you can expect to have lasting pain for longer than you would if you had a minor injury.
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Permanent injuries. Permanent injuries are injuries that cause permanent changes to your body. Permanent neck injuries may include nerve damage, spinal stenosis, cervical spondylosis, and spinal cord injuries that lead to paralysis. The pain from these injuries may become chronic.
All types of neck injuries are capable of producing pain that could impact the way you live your life, making it harder or impossible for you to care for yourself, work, or enjoy the hobbies you love.
How a Car Accident Leads to Neck Pain
Car accidents often produce neck injuries. Even minor accidents, like fender benders, can produce neck injuries. Two common reasons why car accidents produce neck injuries include:
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Forces from sudden acceleration or deceleration. When a car comes to an abrupt stop due to impact or accelerates in a different direction from a collision, the force on the body can cause the neck to move forward and/or backward violently. The head and neck are not restrained by the seat belt, so they do not have the same protection from this movement.
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Compression from impact. The impact of the crash may force the disks between the cervical vertebrae to move, which in turn compresses the nerves in the neck and spinal cord.
Factors that determine how bad an injury will be include speed, road conditions, force of impact, safety features of the vehicle, safety equipment usage, and a person’s own body and pre-existing conditions. If a person is not seated properly in their seat, wearing a safety belt, and utilizing the correct positioning of a headrest, a neck injury during impact could be more severe.
Different Types of Neck Injuries From Car Accidents
The neck is particularly vulnerable in car accidents simply due to its structure. The seven vertebrae in the neck support the skull and house the top portion of the spinal cord. The bones and spinal cord are surrounded by muscle, connective tissue, and skin, but it is very easy for the neck to be injured because it is also extremely flexible. Some of the more common car accident-related neck injuries include:
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Whiplash. Whiplash is the most common type of neck injury experienced in a car accident. Whiplash occurs when the head and neck move forcefully back and forth. Whiplash causes a sprain or strain in the muscles of the neck, but this injury usually heals on its own without the need for medical intervention.
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Muscle spasms. When your muscles are strained or sprained in a car accident, the body may attempt to heal them or protect them through muscle spasms. Muscle spasms may occur when the body attempts to immobilize injured muscles by contracting them and releasing them.
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Nerve injuries. When other tissues in the body are injured, they may impact surrounding nerves. If nerves are compressed or pinched, you may lose sensation in an area of the body or experience nerve pain like tingling, numbness, or other sensations.
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Fractures. A more severe type of neck injury involves a fracture of the bones of the cervical spine. Plainly stated, it’s possible to break your neck in a car accident. A neck fracture is always a serious injury that requires immediate medical attention and care. Some fractures are so severe that they cause permanent damage, like paralysis. In some cases, a broken neck can result in death.
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Disk problems. The discs located between the vertebrae in the spine help them absorb shock. In an accident, these discs may slip, rupture, bulge, or herniate. Disc injuries can result in pain in the extremities, numbness and tingling, and pain in the neck and shoulders.
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Facet joint injury. The facet joints in the neck allow the neck and head the flexibility needed to turn and bend. In an accident, these joints may be damaged and become inflamed, resulting in swelling and pain.
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Cervical spondylosis. If one or more of the vertebrae in the neck slips out of place in an accident, they can compress nerves that cause radiating pain in the neck and shoulders. This condition is known as cervical spondylosis.
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Cuts and lacerations. It is not uncommon for cuts and scrapes to occur in a car accident. Cuts on the neck may require stitches, surgery, or other repairs to heal.
Any neck injury presents a challenge to the injured person. Pain from neck injuries can interfere with daily tasks and make it impossible for the person to work or even care for themselves. Treatments for neck-related injuries may be temporary and only require mild intervention, while other treatments may include invasive and uncomfortable procedures.
Also Read: Legal Recourse for Delivery Workers After Dog Attacks
Common Treatments for Neck Pain From Car Accidents
If you get mild whiplash in a car accident, you probably will not need medical treatment. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may only need rest and over-the-counter remedies. Some injuries, however, will not only require medical intervention but additional treatments, like physical therapy and pain management. Some common treatments for neck pain include:
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Home remedies. Over-the-counter pain medication, ice, and rest may be all you need to overcome a mild neck injury. If your symptoms do not improve or if you develop new symptoms, it is best to see a doctor.
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Chiropractic care. Some patients benefit from chiropractic treatment to help with the reduction of pain. Most treatment plans will involve regular adjustments several times a week.
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Surgical intervention. Some neck injuries will require surgery. Surgery can be invasive and require long periods of recovery time followed by several weeks of learning to reuse the muscles in the neck and recondition them.
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Therapy. Even after surgery, neck pain may still persist. In these instances, a person may need to seek physical and/or occupational therapy to help reduce pain and increase their ability to move and take care of themselves like they once did.
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Medication. Medication is an option for helping reduce pain, but it usually is not recommended that patients rely on pain-reducing medications as a long-term treatment option. Many pain medications carry side effects that make them less viable options for long-term treatment.
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Pain management. If pain is still a problem and your team of doctors has released you, you may need to seek the help of a pain management specialist. Pain management specialists seek to reduce and eliminate pain through techniques like ablations, nerve blocks, and the use of electrical devices that may be implanted in the spine.
There are many options for obtaining relief from your neck pain but managing expectations of how neck pain will affect your everyday life can help reduce frustration.
Also Read: Navigating the Legal Maze: How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You
How Neck Pain Can Affect Every Part of Your Life
Unfortunately, neck pain can become a debilitating issue. Constant, chronic pain can change the way you live your life. Neck pain can make it difficult to sit or stand comfortably and can impact your ability to sleep at night.
Neck pain may also lead to radiating pain in the arms and hands that can interfere with your grip strength, making it hard to open a jar or hold a tennis racket. Radiating pain may make it impossible for you to hold a book or type. If the pain you experience leads to headaches or blurred vision, you may experience difficulty concentrating, reading, writing, or even having conversations.
The long-term impact of neck pain from a car accident can be life-altering, even if the injury is deemed mild. When your life changes and becomes more challenging as a result of an injury, you deserve to be compensated for your medical expenses, income loss, pain, and suffering.
Your Legal Options After a Car Accident Leaves You in Pain
You almost always have the option of filing an insurance claim on your own, but you can run into challenges quickly when you suffer a personal injury because of a car crash. Medical expenses can pile up, and if you’re out of work – or suffered the type of injury that prevents you from being able to hold a job in the future – you’re probably going to need more security than the offer the insurance company makes.
Hiring an experienced car accident attorney is a good starting place if you are confused as to your legal options after an accident. Having an attorney on your side can shield you from accepting lowball settlement offers from insurance companies who do not have your best interests in mind. An attorney can also help you estimate how long it will take you to recover and how your life will be impacted by your injuries so that your claim covers non-economic damages as well as economic damages.
Most car accident cases don’t go to trial, but it’s a good idea to talk to an attorney even if you just want to settle. You don’t want to leave money you need on the table, and you deserve an advocate who will fight for you.
