Common Causes of Back and Neck Pain After a Car Accident

The impact of a car accident can leave you with various injuries. Seeking emergency medical care is critical after a car accident. It helps with the early detection and treatment of injuries. Additionally, it ensures that your injuries are documented, and you can use the records as evidence in your personal injury lawsuit.

However, many people who do not have apparent injuries are reluctant to seek medical attention. You can experience different symptoms after an accident, including back and neck pain. Common causes of back and neck pain after a car collision include:

Whiplash is one of the most common and recognizable causes of neck pain after a car accident. You could suffer this injury in a rear-end collision or rollover accident. It happens when the head is forcefully thrown forward and snapped backward, like a cracking whip.

The unnatural movement puts significant strain on the soft tissues of the neck. As a result, you may experience a reduced range of motion in the neck. Common symptoms of whiplash include:

• Neck pain and stiffness

• Headaches that originate at the base of the skull

• Dizziness and blurred vision

• Fatigue

• Irritability

• Difficulty sleeping

The symptoms of whiplash do not appear immediately after the accident. Therefore, many people may fail to seek medical attention. Often, signs of injury can take 24 to 48 hours or even longer to fully develop. The delay can lead people to underestimate the severity of their condition.

For this reason, it’s crucial to seek a prompt medical evaluation after any car accident, even if you feel fine. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term complications and support a quicker recovery.

The pain you experience in your back or neck after a car accident could signify a herniated disc. The human spine has a series of vertebrae. Each disc is separated by intervertebral discs that absorb shock and allow flexibility. Car accidents involving sudden impact or violent motion can cause disc damage.

The force may cause a disc to bulge out of its normal position or even rupture. When this happens, the displaced disc material can press on nearby spinal nerves, leading to intense pain and discomfort. The following are some of the common signs of a herniated disc:

• Sharp pain that radiates in the back, neck, arms, or legs

• Numbness or tingling sensations in affected limbs

• Muscle weakness and reduced strength

• Limited mobility caused by stiffness in the spine

Herniated disc injuries are difficult to diagnose through a physical exam alone. Therefore, doctors will rely on advanced imaging techniques like MRI or CT scans. These tests help to confirm the extent and location of the disc damage. Treatment options for herniation vary depending on the severity of the injury.

Some cases of herniated discs respond well to conservative methods such as physical therapy and pain management. However, more severe cases may need surgical intervention to relieve nerve pressure and pain. If you experience back and neck pain after a car accident, you should seek medical attention to detect or rule out a herniated disc.

Another common cause of neck and back pain after a car accident is a spinal fracture. A spinal fracture is a serious injury that can result from high-impact vehicle collisions. You can suffer the injury in rollover and head-on collisions.

These accidents exert tremendous force on the body, causing one or more vertebrae in the spine to break. Spinal fractures cause severe pain and can lead to the following long-term complications when left untreated. They include paralysis and permanent nerve damage. The symptoms of spinal fractures include:

• Severe back pain

• Swelling, tenderness, or bruising around the injury site

• Difficulty maintaining balance

• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the limbs

You must seek immediate medical care if you experience back pain accompanied by mobility issues after a car accident. Your physician may assess your symptoms and order imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs. These diagnostic tests confirm the diagnosis and determine the extent of the injury.

Besides medical treatment, spinal fractures result in significant financial burdens. A personal injury attorney can help pursue compensation and ensure you receive the support and justice you deserve.

Sometimes, the pain you experience in your back and neck results from a pinched nerve. A pinched nerve happens when pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues. Bones, cartilage, or herniated discs can press the nerves due to trauma from a car accident. The nerve compression can cause pain, numbness, or weakness along the nerve’s path.

Common symptoms of a pinched nerve include

• Pain in the arms or legs. A primary sign of nerve compression is pain that radiates down the legs and arms. The pain is often sharp or burning.

• Numbness or tingling in extremities. You can experience tingling sensations in the extremities when you have a pinched nerve.

• Muscle weakness. Compressed nerves may interfere with muscle control, leading to a noticeable loss of strength in the arms or legs.

When left untreated, a pinched nerve can cause permanent nerve damage. Therefore, you will need treatment immediately after the accident. Initial treatment for the condition may include rest, anti-inflammatory medication, and physical therapy. In more severe or unresponsive cases, surgical options like decompression are used to relieve the pressure on the nerve and restore function.

Soft tissue injuries are damage affecting the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. These structures support and stabilize the body, and an injury can cause extreme pain in your neck and back. Soft tissue injuries are common in car accidents. During a collision, the body is forced into unnatural positions, and it experiences extreme trauma.

Unlike broken bones, soft tissue injuries often do not appear on X-rays. This can make them more challenging to diagnose and treat. Types of soft tissue injuries you could suffer after an auto accident include:

• Strains and sprains. These occur when muscles or ligaments are stretched or torn due to sudden force. Sprains affect ligaments, which connect bones. On the other hand, strains involve tendons, which connect muscles to bones.

• Muscle tears. Partial or complete ruptures of muscle fibers can result in sharp pain, weakness, and limited mobility.

• Ligament injuries. These injuries often occur in joints and can severely impact stability and movement.

In addition to pain, you could experience swelling, bruising, and stiffness from soft tissue injuries. While they might seem minor at first, these injuries can lead to chronic pain and long-term limitations if not adequately treated. Early diagnosis and rehabilitation are key to recovery. For this reason, you should not ignore the slight discomfort you experience after an auto accident.

Injuries to the facet joints can cause neck and back pain after an accident. Facet joints are the small joints located between each vertebra in your spine. They help with stability and allow smooth movement of the spine. A car accident forces your spine into unnatural positions. Sudden impact or twisting causes inflammation, irritation, and damage to these joints. The symptoms of facet joint injuries include:

• Pain that is localized in the neck or lower back

• Pain that worsens with movement

• Tenderness when pressure is applied over the affected joint

Facet joint injuries can sometimes mimic other back problems, making diagnosis challenging. If you experience back pain after an accident, you seek medical care. Your physician may need specific diagnostic tools like facet joint blocks or injections to confirm the source of pain.

Facet joint injuries respond well to physical therapy to improve mobility and reduce inflammation. Additionally, you may need chiropractic alignment to ease the joint pain. Early diagnosis and treatment are key to preventing chronic pain. Additionally, it helps restore normal spinal function after an injury.

A slipped disc or spondylolisthesis can cause severe back and neck pain after a car accident. The condition occurs when one vertebra slips forward over the other. Stress fractures, degenerative changes, or trauma from a car accident can cause spondylolisthesis. The pain associated with spondylolisthesis can significantly impact your quality of life. The following are some of the symptoms related to a slipped disc:

• Lower back pain. Spondylolisthesis pain is persistent and worsens with activity or prolonged standing.

• Muscle spasms. In addition to pain, you can experience muscle tightness and involuntary contractions in the back muscles.

• Pain radiating into the legs. You could experience pain that radiates to the legs when you have a slipped disc. It occurs when the slipped vertebra compresses the sciatic nerve, leading to burning or sharp pain that travels to the thighs or calves.

Early diagnosis of the condition ensures prompt treatment. Additionally, it helps to prevent further complications. Therefore, you should not ignore your back pain after an auto accident.

Treatment for spondylosis varies depending on the severity of the condition. Your physician can recommend physical therapy, rest, and bracing to support the spine. In severe cases, a surgeon can perform spinal fusion surgery to stabilize the vertebrae.

Back and neck pain after an accident can signify severe injury. However, there are times when the injury is nothing more than a sprain or strain. Back strains and sprains occur due to overstretching of muscles and ligaments.

You can experience a muscle tear or overstretching in a side impact or head-on collision. The injury results from sudden and forceful movement of the body. The jolt from the crash can stretch soft tissues beyond their normal range.

Strains and sprains often show up immediately after an accident. Therefore, a physician may diagnose the injury during emergency medical care. The symptoms of muscle sprains and strains include the following:

• Muscle spasms. These are sudden, involuntary contractions that cause pain and limit mobility.

• Stiffness. You can experience stiffness or difficulty moving the back, especially after rest.

• Swelling or bruising. Sprains can cause inflammation or discoloration around the injured area.

• Pain that worsens with movement. Muscle strains and sprains are associated with discomfort that intensifies during everyday actions. You may have a muscle strain if you experience back pain that worsens when you walk, stand, or bend after an accident.

Initial treatment for the pain associated with muscle strain involves rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Sometimes, your doctor can recommend physical therapy to regain strength and flexibility.

Although these injuries are not initially severe, failure to address them can cause long-lasting consequences. You can ensure early intervention from the injury by seeking emergency medical care after an accident. Additionally, you must explain all your symptoms to the doctor for proper diagnosis.

Back and neck injuries are common outcomes of car accidents in Florida. These injuries often cause pain and discomfort that can affect your life significantly. Victims of car accidents are entitled to compensation for their injuries. You can file an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit against the parties liable for the accident.

In a successful lawsuit or claim, you can receive compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and other back and neck pain losses. To navigate the complex personal injury laws in Florida, you will require the insight of a reliable attorney. Your attorney will help you link your pain to the accident injuries and pursue a lawsuit.

Additionally, they will work with medical experts to prove the impact of the pain on your quality of life and justify compensation. At Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney, we will offer the expert legal insight you need to secure a favorable outcome in your case. Contact us at 904-800-7557 from Jacksonville, FL, to discuss your case.