Is It Normal To Feel Pain After an Accident?

 

Being in an auto accident, regardless of how serious it is, can make you ask yourself a lot of questions.

“Is there any way I could have prevented this? Should I be worried about my insurance rates going up? Do I need to seriously consider getting a new car?”

All of those questions are valid, but there’s one important question that a lot of people don’t know the answer to: Is it normal to experience pain after a car accident?

Maybe your spouse was just in an accident, and all of a sudden they’re complaining about having a stiff neck. Or maybe you’re wondering if your sore back is normal when you were in an accident nearly a month ago.

Dealing with pain after a car accident can be scary, but we’re here to give you the answers you need.

Causes of Pain After An Accident

Many accident victims have a tendency to brush off their pain. After all, they were just in a car accident, a little pain is normal, right?

The truth, however, is that pain is never normal! In fact, it is the body’s signal that something is wrong. Without pain, we would continue to walk on broken bones and stretch out torn muscles, causing further damage to our bodies.

Pain after a car accident doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a life-threatening injury, however. Here are some of the most common causes of pain after an accident:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Soft tissue injuries (such as strains and sprains)
• Herniated discs
• Broken bones
• Pinched nerves
• Internal bleeding and/or blood clots

 

Back Pain After An Accident

Back pain is one of the most common complaints following an accident. In most cases, it’s caused by muscle strain, but it can also cause herniated or bulging discs, sciatica, and trigger points. Car accidents can also worsen existing conditions, such as scoliosis and degenerative disc disease.

However, not all spinal injuries will be felt in the back. A nerve that is pinched or damaged at the spine can often send pain and other symptoms to your limbs, known as “referred pain.”

 

Neck Pain After An Accident

When you get into an accident, you (hopefully) have a seat belt holding you in place. Your head and neck, however, are free to move.

This is one of the reasons why whiplash is such a common neck injury following a car accident. Injuries in the neck are also known to cause headaches and shoulder pain.

 

How Long Should You Be Sore After a Car Accident?

Most people feel sore for up to six weeks following a car accident, but this is just an average. There is no set formula that can tell you how long your soreness and discomfort will last. The amount of time you feel discomfort will be heavily dependent on the damage you sustained, and your diagnosis from your doctor.

Soreness is heavily dependent on the severity of the accident and your resulting injuries. That being said, it’s normal to feel a little sore for a few days after an accident, even a relatively minor one. Some people may feel fine immediately after an accident, only to have the pain and discomfort kick in a day or two later.

If you were in a very serious car accident, you may even experience long-term pain for months or years.

 

Is It Normal To Not Feel Pain After An Accident?

Yes! Because of adrenaline and shock, some accident victims may not feel any pain after the crash. However, this doesn’t mean that nothing is wrong.

Regardless of the severity of your accident, you should always follow up with a visit to a car accident chiropractor to determine the extent of your injuries.

It is very common to experience delayed symptoms. You may feel fine for a few days or even weeks—until the pain and discomfort finally arise. A swift diagnosis from a doctor followed with prompt treatment can significantly lessen the discomfort you feel afterward. It could even help prevent you from suffering chronic pain later.

It’s also important to schedule your appointment as soon as possible, as you only have 14 days following your accident to seek medical attention under your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. In some cases, your injuries won’t become symptomatic until those 14 days have already passed.

 

Why You Should Always See a Chiropractor After an Accident

Most people are unaware that PIP and car accident settlements can be used for chiropractic treatment. But chiropractors (especially those who have specialized in car accident injuries) are especially effective at treating pain without resorting to drugs or surgery.

If you’re serious about your recovery, don’t limit your chiropractic appointments to one visit. Going in for a follow up after an accident could help them discover damage that wasn’t immediately visible during the first appointment. S/he can help monitor your pain, track important recovery milestones, and make sure that you’re recovering in the best way possible.

It’s important to note that seeking immediate medical treatment after an accident can also be important from an insurance and legal standpoint. Delaying treatment may cause an insurer to allege that your injuries weren’t very serious, or that they didn’t come from a car accident. A lawyer could use the same information against you in court.

Seeing a traditional medical doctor often results in a prescription for pain medication, which only treats your symptoms. By seeing a chiropractor in conjunction with your primary care physician, you can skip the unpleasant side effects of pain pills and address the underlying injury, so you can get back to a pain-free life.

 

Get Help

It’s never too early to start treating your car accident injuries. If you are experiencing any amount of soreness, pain, or discomfort, you should schedule a visit to Oviedo Chiropractic as soon as possible.

Soreness and pain is the body’s way of alerting you to injury. Don’t ignore these signals! Seeing a chiropractor following your car accident to realign the spine and get a medical massage goes beyond your symptoms to treat your actual injury.

At Oviedo Chiropractic, we use on-site X-rays to diagnose your condition and provide adjustments the same day. We will even coordinate with specialists and imaging companies for the most effective treatment strategies.

If you’re ready to get the treatment you need, book an appointment today.