Motor Accidents and Your Spine

Regardless of the severity of a car accident, our bodies go through a certain amount of trauma that they weren’t built to handle. When you get into an accident, your adrenaline is running high, and you may not notice that you have a back injury. Often we check ourselves for blood and broken bones and then exit the vehicle to assess the damage on the outside. While your car’s bumper may need replacing, the human body can’t recover as simply.

What are some common back injuries resulting from motor accidents?

In the event of a crash, your body keeps moving while the vehicle comes to an abrupt stop. That means that whether it’s the seatbelt, headrest, or dashboard, something will also abruptly stop you. This impact puts intense pressure on your neck and back, resulting in whiplash.

The most serious of these injuries often involve the thoracic spine. This section of the spine is a complicated area in your body that includes not only your spine, but also your ribs and entire chest area. This kind of injury is most commonly caused by high-speed accidents and can result in sprains, fractures, and even nerve damage.

Lumbar spine injuries can also affect daily activities in your life. Your lower spine includes five of your largest vertebrae, as well as some of the most active muscles. An injury inflicted on this area can cause extreme discomfort and pain because of the strain that it puts on the tendons and muscles.

Other injuries that could occur in a car crash regardless of the severity can include herniated discs, causing intense lower back pain and numbness in the legs.

Spinal cord injuries are also commonly one of the most severe back injuries. We say that because it can lead to long term disability, such as paralysis. Other complications come with spinal cord injuries such as blood clots, bleeding, and spinal fluid leaks.

How can you recover from such injuries?

A good thing to keep in mind is that regardless of how good you feel after an accident, you should still see a doctor. Often our adrenaline clouds our judgment and our pain, and we could do further damage to our bodies. Doctors will do a series of x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs, to make sure the problem gets diagnosed correctly.

Some injuries can be treated with physical therapy and chiropractic care, while others may require surgery. The important thing is to get diagnosed promptly so you can move forward with a healthy spine.