Watch Out For These 5 Car Accident Spinal Injuries
Car accidents of all kinds can have long-term effects on the body, especially the spine. Learn more about the most frequent car accident back injuries that you might experience and how they affect your spine.
1. Whiplash
Whiplash is a neck injury that occurs when the head suddenly moves back and forth. If you’ve been rear-ended during a car accident, you may have experienced whiplash. The most common symptoms of this spinal injury are pain in your neck and shoulders, dizziness, and headache. In more severe cases, you might also have nerve injuries in your neck.
2. Herniated Discs
Herniated discs are another common spine injury from car accidents. During an accident, the abrupt impact can damage your spinal discs. Discs act as a soft cushion between your vertebrae. When discs are damaged, they bulge and apply pressure to the spinal cord and spinal nerves. This pressure can cause numbness, weakness, tingling and burning throughout your body.
3. Vertebral Fractures
If the force of a car accident is strong enough, it might fracture your vertebrae. The symptoms of vertebral fractures vary depending on the severity of the accident and can range from pain or difficulty walking to paralysis in the arms and legs. Temporarily reducing your activity level can often help stabilize bone density and allow you to recover from vertebral fractures.
4. Spinal Stenosis
Another common back injury in a car accident is spinal stenosis. This injury occurs when the bone around the spinal cord, called the spinal canal, narrows and puts excess pressure on the spinal cord and the nerves. The main spinal stenosis symptoms are lower back or neck pain, issues coordinating limbs, trouble standing and walking and numbness in the arms and legs.
5. Facet Joint Injuries
Facet joint injuries can occur at any point in the spine where there is friction between the joints. These injuries often happen through trauma, such as a car accident. The friction causes tenderness, inflammation, swelling, arthritis pain and stiffness. Fortunately, there are numerous treatments available for facet joint injuries. Treatment options include non-operative methods, like massages and strength training, as well as low-invasive procedures like radiofrequency ablation and endoscopic rhizotomy.
Contact Our Team of Spine Specialists Today
If you’re suffering from back pain after a car accident, get in touch with our team at Spine INA today and find the treatment option that’s right for you.
