Car accident injury care starts by finding out what the crash actually hurt. That can be the facet joints (the small joints at the back of the spine) and ligaments of the neck, the discs, the nerve roots, a shoulder loaded by the belt, and often a concussion. Then we treat it directly with image-guided injections, nerve blocks or physical therapy. We write it all down properly from the first visit.
A car crash slams a huge amount of energy into a body that had no time to brace. The damage is often not where the pain is on day one.
What actually gets injured
A rear-end crash throws the head back, then forward. That strains the facet joints and ligaments of the neck. This is classic whiplash, and it is most of what we see.
A side hit loads the spine sideways, and the discs handle that poorly. It often hurts the shoulder and hip on the side that was struck.
Seat belts save lives, and they bruise the chest, shoulders and belly doing it. Airbags cause face, wrist and forearm injuries.
Conditions this commonly causes
What we do about it
We find out what is hurt. We treat it directly with image-guided injections, nerve blocks or physical therapy as needed. We write down the injury properly from the first visit.
Call us or request an appointment.
What usually goes wrong
The biggest mistake after a car crash is thinking a normal ER visit rules out injury. The ER rules out the things that kill people in the first hours: broken bones, bleeding, organ damage. It is not built to check facet joints, discs, ligaments or nerve roots. Those cause nearly all the pain that lingers after a crash.
The second mistake is thinking car damage tells you how hurt the people are. It does not. The link is weakest at the very speeds where most crashes happen. At low speed, modern bumpers soak up the hit and spring back. They pass the energy straight into the people inside while barely denting.
The third mistake is treating the crash as one injury. A typical crash causes several at once: a neck facet injury, a shoulder loaded by the belt, a low back strain, and often a concussion. They do not all show up at the same time. Checking only the loudest one leaves the others to become chronic.
What to expect over time
Most crash injuries get much better within six to twelve weeks. The people who do not get better are not set apart by how bad the crash was. They are set apart by whether the exact injury was found, or just treated as general pain.
Past three months, the pain is much less likely to go away on its own, and a targeted diagnosis is worth more. That is the point at which diagnostic blocks are worth doing instead of waiting, because they open options that time alone will not.
Common questions
How soon after a crash should I be seen?
Within a few days if you can. Soft-tissue injury responds best early. An early record of your symptoms is worth a great deal later. If symptoms are getting worse fast, come sooner.
Why waiting costs you both the best time to treat and the record is covered in Delayed Symptoms After a Crash.
The ER said I was fine. Why do I still hurt?
An ER rules out things that will kill you: broken bones, bleeds, organ injury. It is not built to find a disc injury or a facet joint sprain. A normal X-ray does not rule out either one.
Why a normal X-ray is not the end of the search is covered in What to Do After a Car Accident.
Do I need an attorney to be treated?
No. See how accident billing works.
Sources
- Nolet PS et al. Exposure to a motor vehicle collision and the risk of future back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Accident; analysis and prevention, 2020. PubMed 32438092
- Sterling M. Physiotherapy management of whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). Journal of physiotherapy, 2014. PubMed 24856935
- Wong JJ et al. Are manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture effective for the management of patients with whiplash-associated disorders or neck pain and associated disorders? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the OPTIMa collaboration. The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society, 2016. PubMed 26707074
- Smits EJ et al. Expert consensus and perspectives on recovery following road traffic crashes: a Delphi study. Disability and rehabilitation, 2022. PubMed 33305970
Hurt in an accident? Start here.
You do not need a lawyer, a police report or a referral to be seen. Bring your symptoms and we will work out the rest.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Same-day appointments are often available for new accident and injury patients.