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People are in auto accidents of all types every day, and many of them result in mild to severe injuries. Often, injury victims don’t become aware of their injuries until days or even weeks following an accident. Even if you don’t believe your injuries are severe, you should seek treatment to get a proper diagnosis and start an effective treatment plan.
If you are involved in a car accident or another type of motor vehicle accident, you may sustain a variety of injuries. One of the most common injuries is whiplash, which develops due to the sudden motion that vehicle occupants experience in an accident.
Whiplash occurs when a person is initially in a fixed sitting position while riding or driving in a vehicle. When another vehicle rear-ends the vehicle in front, the bodies of the front vehicle’s occupants will be pushed down into their seats. Meanwhile, the head begins to move forward before abruptly moving backward. This movement puts stress on the neck which leads to a whiplash injury in many cases.
In addition to whiplash affecting the neck, accident victims may sustain a variety of other injuries affecting the neck and spine. During and immediately after an accident, the symptoms of whiplash and other injuries may not be apparent. In fact, in the case of whiplash, victims don’t often experience symptoms until a few days after the accident occurred. Keep in mind that you may also not experience symptoms immediately due to the adrenaline rush that accident victims frequently experience when involved in an accident.
If you sustain injuries such as whiplash in an accident, it’s important to get the care you need during this time to ensure proper healing. Without an official diagnosis and appropriate treatment, your injury may worsen and even become life-threatening, with symptoms building up over time.
For example, in the case of whiplash, symptoms tend to show up within a few days after an accident as the body attempts to heal itself. At first, the muscles will tighten around the affected area in an effort to prevent additional damage. Fibroblasts then attach to the injury to form a layer of scar tissue before the body continues to repair. At this time, proper care is crucial for preventing further injury and potentially severe damage to the spine.
Also, treating injuries soon after an accident may benefit you when it comes to filing an auto insurance claim. If you wait too long to seek treatment, this could indicate to insurers that your injuries aren’t as serious as you say they are upon filing a claim.
If you experience pain in your neck or back following a vehicle accident, you should get the right treatment to help you make a full recovery. In addition to or in place of medication or other types of treatment, you may benefit from professional care with a car accident doctor.
With the help of proper care and an effective treatment plan that’s right for you, you will enable your body to heal following a car accident.