While the term “minor” is sometimes applied to various vehicle accidents where damage is limited in nature, the reality is that for many people involved in them, many such accidents aren’t “minor” at all. Even fender-benders and other less major collisions can still lead to significant injuries, including those that persist well into the future in some cases.
At Peterson Chiropractic, we’re here to offer treatment services for many of these auto accident injuries, from whiplash to a number of others that may show up depending on the nature of the collision you were in. What are some of the ways even minor accidents can still lead to issues, and why is it important to seek care following such an accident even if your symptoms seem minor? This two-part blog series will go over everything you need to know here.
Whiplash
As we referenced above, whiplash is one of the most common injuries to result from a car accident, and it can happen even in seemingly minor fender-benders. Whiplash occurs when your head and neck are suddenly thrust forward and then backwards with great force; this can cause damage to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the area.
Symptoms of whiplash may not present themselves immediately, but can instead take hours or even days to show up. When they do, you may experience neck pain and stiffness, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, and more. Whiplash can be a very debilitating injury if not treated properly, so it’s important to seek care as soon as possible following an accident to get on the road to recovery.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Another common form of auto accident injury is soft tissue damage. This can occur to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in any area of the body, but is particularly common in the neck, shoulders, and back. Like whiplash, symptoms of soft tissue injuries may not show up immediately following an accident; instead, they may gradually appear over the course of days or weeks.
If you do start to experience pain, stiffness, swelling, or reduced range of motion in any area of the body following a car accident, it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible. These symptoms could indicate more serious underlying damage, and the sooner you’re able to get a diagnosis and start treating the issue, the better.
Neck Stiffness
Another injury that may not show its full effects until days or even weeks after an accident is neck stiffness. This can be caused by a number of different factors, including whiplash, soft tissue damage, and more. Symptoms of neck stiffness include, as you might expect, stiffness and pain in the neck, as well as headaches, dizziness, and difficulty moving the head.
In part two of our series, we’ll go over some further injuries that are possible even in a minor car accident, and why it’s important to seek treatment for them. To learn more about our auto accident chiropractor services or any of our other programs, speak to the team at Peterson Chiropractic today.