Three physical symptoms to expect after a car accident

Even if you’re a careful and safe driver, your odds of avoiding a car accident aren’t very good. This is supported by data from the Michigan State Police (MSP), which showed that almost 313,000 car accidents occurred in this state in 2018. Since the likelihood of an accident is fairly high, it’s a good idea to know some of the common issues you can face after a car accident. Here are three physical symptoms you can expect after a car accident: 

1.   Neck pain

The forces of a car accident are often hard on your neck, and this is why neck pain is one of the physical symptoms to expect after a car accident. Impacts on the front, rear or sides of your vehicle can cause your head to move violently back and forth or side to side. These violent movements are referred to as whiplash, and this issue can cause pain in your neck. The violent neck movements can also lead to strained muscles in your neck, which can also lead to pain and other physical symptoms. 

2.   Back pain

Violent car accident forces can also lead to back pain, which is another physical symptom you can expect after a car accident. For example, car accidents can cause tearing or straining of muscles in your back. These muscle issues can definitely cause you pain, and they can also lead to spinal misalignment, sciatica and other back problems. Discs in your spine can be damaged in a car accident, and this issue is typically called a herniated disc. When a disc herniates, it can irritate spinal nerves and cause pain and numbness in the back, arms and legs. 

3.   Shoulder pain

Seat belts are great for keeping you safe, but they can also cause issues because they pull on your shoulder during a car accident. This is why shoulder pain is a physical symptom to expect after you’ve been in a car accident. The rotator cuff or other shoulder muscles can be strained during a car crash, and in some cases, these structures can even be torn. In either case, there’s likely to be significant pain in your shoulder. Injuries to the shoulder muscles can also lead to painful tension headaches after your accident. Also, bones in the shoulder can be broken if your shoulder is slammed into the door during the crash, and this can also cause shoulder pain. 

Visit Armor Physical Therapy after your car accident

Armor Physical Therapy has an experienced team of physical therapists, and we’re ready to help you treat many physical symptoms you may experience after a car accident. Our team will do a one-on-one screening to determine what type of injury you have. Then, we’ll build you a personalized therapy plan, which can contain therapy techniques like: 

• Manual therapy
• Joint mobilization
• Trigger point therapy
• Therapeutic exercise

Don’t try to deal with car accident injury pain on your own. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment.