Neck Injury
Neck injuries are painful, expensive, and common. The fact is, you can sustain a neck injury doing just about anything, even overextending your neck while you are sitting in a chair or lying in bed. However, there are certain activities that lead to neck injuries more than others such as car wrecks, workplace accidents, or slip and fall accidents. These events and others tend to lead to more severe neck injuries because they are unexpected events.
As such, accidents in general often result in a victim sustaining some type of neck injury which can range from a simple strain to a vertebral fracture. Neck injuries can have a devastating impact on every aspect of your life. It can affect your ability to sleep, leave you in constant pain, and in some instances, even result in partial or permanent paralysis. As such, it’s important for you to understand the different types of neck injuries you can sustain as a result of being in an accident, the symptoms associated with common neck injuries, and some of the treatment options available to accident victims with a neck injury.
Common Neck Injuries after an Accident
Whiplash or Neck Strain
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), there were 806,000 people sustaining whiplash injuries every year. The estimated indirect and direct costs associated with these injuries is estimated at nine billion dollars annually. Although whiplash is considered to be a minor injury, it can be painful, and it can take months to recover from. Common symptoms associated with whiplash include:
- Neck pain and stiffness that is made worse with movement
- Loss of range of motion in your neck
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Blurred vision
- Ringing in the ears
Whiplash is essentially caused by an event that causes a sudden movement or jerk to your neck. The impact of your vehicle colliding with another vehicle is often responsible for this type of injury, but whiplash injuries can be caused by activities such as playing certain contact sports or other types of accidents such as slip and fall accidents or construction injury accidents. Any type of sudden impact can cause this type of injury which is why it is so common.
Herniated or Bulging Discs in the Neck
There are seven vertebrae that make up your cervical spine, which is commonly referred to as your neck. Most of these vertebrae are separated by intervertebral discs that act as a cushion in between each vertebra and facilitate movement. When your neck experiences trauma, these intervertebral discs can become swollen or inflamed, which is referred to as a bulging disc. When an intervertebral disc is herniated, the trauma sustained by your neck was so severe that it caused one or multiple intervertebral discs to rupture.
When an intervertebral disc ruptures or becomes swollen, it can irritate or place pressure on the nerves that run throughout the spine, which in turn can cause you to experience some very unique symptoms. Common symptoms associated with a bulging or herniated disc include:
- Pain that radiates down into your arm or hand
- Muscle spasms
- Numbness and tingling in your arms and hands
- Muscle weakness in your biceps, triceps, and hands
Sustaining a herniated or bulging cervical disc injury is almost as common as whiplash after being involved in an accident. As such, you should always get evaluated by a doctor who can evaluate the full extent of your injuries after being involved in any type of accident that results in your sustaining trauma to your spine.
Treatments for Neck Injuries
Accident victims often sustain multiple types of neck injuries simultaneously. Meaning, it is possible if not probable for you to be diagnosed with both whiplash and a herniated disc or any other combination of neck injuries. As such, many of the treatment options for neck injuries can be used to treat multiple types of injuries either separately or simultaneously. Common treatments for neck injuries include:
- Medication
- Injections
- Surgery
- Physical Therapy
- Chiropractic Care
- Massage Therapy
Personal Injury Attorney in Fort Lauderdale, FL
At Friedland and Associates, our personal injury attorney has helped hundreds of accident victims who have sustained neck injuries as a result of another person’s negligence. We take great pride in providing our clients with legal representation that allows them to obtain the best possible resolution to their claim, and we stand ready to help you. So, call our office today for a free consultation to find out how an experienced car accident attorney can help you.
