If you’ve been in a car accident and are experiencing discomfort or pain, you know exactly how unpleasant car accident injuries can be. Sometimes, these symptoms go away on their own with rest and time. More often, these symptoms need treatment to ensure you don’t sustain life-altering, permanent damage. It may be difficult to decide when you should seek care from a Tampa car accident chiropractor for injuries. If you are suffering from any of these five symptoms, you should seek medical care:
1. Pain
Neck, back, and joints are common areas of injury from an auto accident. The most common and well–known car accident injury is whiplash. While whiplash rarely results in permanent injury on its own, the neck pain associated with whiplash could be indicative of a deeper issue. Serious neck and back injuries do occur, and a car accident doctor will be able to provide you a medical evaluation to ensure your pain is not something more serious.
The most common joint pain and injuries are bruises and contusions, which will typically heal within two weeks on their own. The impact from the accident can, however, cause broken bones or fractures. Broken bones are common injuries overall, not just for car accidents, and are rarely permanent or life-threatening, although they do occasionally require surgery to help you heal. Meeting with an auto accident doctor will allow them to provide you a thorough evaluation to help create a custom treatment plan to alleviate your pain.
2. Stiffness
Some people may not feel much pain or think the pain is minor from their car accident but will notice stiffness in areas of their body. Stiffness from a car accident is most often in the upper body – the head, neck, arms, shoulders, and upper back. Stiffness in these areas can be indicative of a problem that may lead to pain or additional discomfort down the road. An auto accident chiropractor can help you restore your full range of motion and ensure there is no additional damage that needs to be treated.
3. Numbness
Damage to nerves or the spine can cause numbness in many different areas of your body. Pinched nerves, spinal disc misalignment, herniated discs, compressed nerves, or severed nerves can all cause numbness and tingling sensations. Neck and back injuries are the most common ways for these injuries to occur. Because of the many ways neck and back injuries can occur in car accidents, numbness and tingling is a common symptom, but one that sometimes gets overlooked as a serious concern when people are self-evaluating.
Oftentimes, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatories, paired with exercises for you to continue, are enough to help alleviate these issues. In more serious cases, steroid injections may be beneficial. If you’ve been in an auto accident and are experiencing numbness or tingling, you’ll want an appointment with a car accident chiropractor for a diagnosis and treatment plan that is the best fit for you.
4. Headaches
A headache after a car accident is typically called a post-traumatic headache, and if it doesn’t begin until later, it is called a delayed-onset post-traumatic headache. Headaches from a car accident are most often caused by a blow to the head, a concussion, or whiplash. Any impact to your head can cause head pain and lead to a consistent headache. If you hit your head hard enough, you may suffer from a concussion.
A concussion is a brain injury resulting from the brain ricocheting in your skull. A headache is only one of the symptoms of a concussion, you may also experience confusion, dizziness, blurred vision, memory issues, or balance problems. A concussion is considered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and should be medically treated right away to prevent additional brain damage.
If you are experiencing tightness or pressure across your forehead; a dull aching sensation in the head; pressure on the sides or back of your head; or tenderness of the scalp, neck, or shoulders; you should seek medical attention from an auto accident doctor to help determine the type of headache you are experiencing and find a treatment plan that is a good fit for you.
5. Sleeping Problems
Oftentimes, insomnia or sleep disturbance after a car accident is the result of pain associated with physical injuries. In addition to physical discomfort, car accidents can cause lasting psychological and emotional damage. This damage is no less debilitating than the physical symptoms you may experience and is more likely to have a delayed onset and develop over time. It is important to discuss all symptoms you are experiencing with a car accident doctor so they can fully diagnose, evaluate, and work with you to develop a comprehensive treatment plan to get you back to living happy and whole.
Swann Medical – Top-Tier Tampa Auto Accident Chiropractor
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s essential you choose the right doctor to create a treatment plan custom to your needs. Here at Swann Medical, we work with you to create a conservative, custom-tailored approach for your healing. Our car accident chiropractors have locations in South Tampa, East Tampa, and Plant City. If you have questions or need additional information, our team has someone ready to help 24/7 on our live chat, schedule an appointment online or you’re welcome to call us or walk-in our clinics for assistance.
Get in Touch
help@swannmedical.com
Our Office Locations
508 S. Habana Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33609
2525 E Hillsborough Ave. Suite 111 Tampa, FL 33610
1501 S Alexander St Suite 103 Plant City, FL 33563
Service Areas Include:
Auto Injuries Treatment Chiropractic Care Massage Therapy Medical Services Physiotherapy Spinal Decompression
