In my practice, I often see patients who have been involved in a car accident. By far the area most affected is the neck in my office. I also have patients complain of shoulder, back and low back pain as well. I also notice that because a lot of accidents are rear-enders, the neck is especially vulnerable. However, collisions from the side and front also wreak havoc on the neck as well as other parts of the body.
Another common concern many people involved in car accidents have is, 'how long until I get better'. This questions is more difficult to answer. Of course, a priority for many people is reduction of pain symptoms and headaches. Unfortunately, I notice that these patients also lose function in their bodies. By this I mean weakness in the muscles/joints, loss of motion in the joints, pain upon moving too much and similar findings. I always advise patients who have been involved in a car accident to take their time. The injuries incurred are not like a simple muscle strain due to over-doing it at the gym. For many reasons, recovery will be far more involved.
This article sheds some light on the major causes of injuries in car accidents and some common sense ways to lessen the damage of a crash.
Nearly 13% of people in car crashes suffer spinal injuries serious enough to cause paralysis or death. But a new study finds that greater use of seatbelts and airbags could greatly reduce this statistic.
"It is extremely important to come to grips with the carnage on the highways," said Dr. Charles H. Tator, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine.
"If we lost 1/100th of these people to meningitis, there would be a national outcry, but because it's just another crash and a few more deaths we don't get serious about it," he added.
The researchers also suggested lowering the speed limits on our roadways. The researchers pointed out that many drivers travel at speeds that exceed the limit. Traveling at those kinds of speeds not only makes it harder for people to react to driving situations, but it also increases the severity of injuries if a crash does occur.
Now with the technological age and the rise of cellphone use and texting while driving, it only seems that the risks involved with driving has just gone up. From a Chiropractor's note, please drive safely and carefully. Talking or being distracted while driving is just too much of a gamble just for convenience sake.
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