If you are injured in a car accident in the Kansas City area, you should make sure you get the medical help you need. Too many drivers make the mistake of ignoring pain or hoping things will get better when the reality is that pain often starts after the shock wears off. Serious damage, especially to the head and neck region can be masked.
A common injury that results from accidents is whiplash. Chiropractors, physical therapists and other healthcare providers across Kansas City cite whiplash as one of their patients’ biggest issues. Whiplash, also called neck sprain or neck strain, is an injury to the neck. In whiplash, the joints between the cervical vertebrae, discs, ligaments, muscles and nerve roots may become damaged.
Those who most often suffer from whiplash are Kansas City drivers
Whiplash is caused by a violent jerking of the head and neck region that the body cannot sustain. Car accidents are the most common cause of whiplash, even mild fender benders. For the person who is hit from behind, the head is thrust forward and backward in a rapid movement, straining the sensitive ligaments in the neck.
The shock and fight or flight response generated by the body in traumatic situations like crashes can suppress any effects of whiplash at first. However, people who experience whiplash usually develop symptoms within the first few days after the injury:
Whiplash will result in pain and sensitivity around the neck and, potentially, a loss in mobility. Sometimes, whiplash can cause pain down one or both arms, between the shoulder blades, around the face and even in the lower back. In rare cases, symptoms can include tingling in the arms, dizziness, ringing in the ears, fatigue, blurred vision, poor concentration, memory problems, and insomnia.
Most whiplash injuries will get better by themselves, or with a small amount of basic treatment.
However, more than 10% of whiplash victims have symptoms that last six months or more, with a small minority experiencing chronic pain or headaches for years following their accident. Unfortunately, these people may develop depression, which can make it difficult for them to continue with normal daily activities, often leading to other health problems.
The initial level of pain after a whiplash injury, as well as whether the victim has a positive mindset are the best predictors of the speed of recovery according to one study by researchers on neck pain.
If you suffer from whiplash and any other personal losses resulting from that injury, The Pottenger Law Firm will help ensure that you receive the best treatment. We will advise you on your options and fight for you.
