Seek Medical Attention if Injured

Seek medical attention if you are injured. Many people are so filled with adrenalin that they do not initially feel pain. It’s not until a few hours later or the next morning that the pain kicks in. That is perfectly normal. The mistake that people make is that they hope that the pain is going to go away and do not tell a doctor. Sometimes people wait days, or longer, clinging to this hope. Insurance companies often use this “gap” in treatment as an excuse to argue that the injuries were not caused by the car accident.

Waiting to get treatment in hopes of the symptoms magically subsiding can also delay your recovery. Ironically, this can lead you to missing more work and prolong your treatment, requiring additional medical care. Many people avoid getting treatment because they don’t want to miss work, incur medical bills or because they don’t have time. Again, waiting to get treatment in the beginning can lead to additional lost time and medical bills at the end, even if you “only” strained muscles. Initial conservative treatment usually entails prescriptions for muscle relaxants and other remedies that can speed up your recovery and prevent the onset of a chronic condition.

Important Symptoms To Be Aware Of After a Car Accident

Our bodies are not designed to handle the forces of a car accident. Here are troubling signs to be aware and report to a doctor immediately.

• Dizziness, confusion or headaches. These are warning signs of a brain injury that need to be addressed immediately.  Many people suffer brain injuries during a collision. A concussion is a brain injury. Sadly many people die each year because they are not prescribed a CT of their head following head trauma. Why? Because the impact of your brain hitting the side of your scull can cause brain bleeding. Internal bleeding that causes swelling to your ankle or a bruised arm is not fatal because there is room for the swelling. Your brain, on the other hand, is trapped within your skull. Swelling within your skull causes pressure that is potentially fatal. A CT scan can detect potentially fatal brain bleeds. Symptoms such as dizziness, confusion, and headaches are important early warning signs.
• Shooting pain, numbness or tingling that starts in your neck and goes into your arms or starts in your lower back and goes into your legs. These are symptoms of a herniated disc in your spine that is impinging your nerve roots. Herniated discs cannot be diagnosed with an x-ray. X-rays show broken bones. No broken bones do not = no injury. An MRI is needed to diagnose a herniated disc. Herniated discs can lead to chronic problems and require surgery.
• Trouble lifting or extending your arm. This is a sign of a rotator cuff tear. Once again, an MRI is needed to reveal a rotator cuff tear. An x-ray of your shoulder will not show a torn rotator cuff tear. A tear in your rotator cuff can start out small and not be particularly painful. The tear can worsen with use and require surgery.
• Instability and pain while walking. These are signs of torn or damaged ligaments in your knee. An x-ray will not show torn ligaments in your knee. Torn ligaments in your knee often require surgery.