Car accidents can strike without warning, leaving property damage, medical costs, and potentially life-changing injuries in their wake. Vehicle accidents can cause almost any type of injury you can imagine, but neck injuries are the most common type.
Neck injuries can range from mild to severe. The most frequent neck injury suffered in a car crash is whiplash, which happens when a person’s neck is jerked forward and backward by the force of the accident. This extremely rapid movement causes the ligaments of the neck to stretch, creating the injury we know as whiplash. Whiplash injuries can be painful, but generally resolve themselves in time, without significant medical treatment.
On the other hand, much more severe neck injuries are possible. These include spinal injuries, which will be discussed below. Neck injuries can also lead to long-term pain (known as chronic pain), which may require significant treatment or medication.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, the first thing to do is seek medical treatment. After that, it’s important to contact a trusted and experienced car accident lawyer who has the knowledge to handle your case. Chronic pain cases can be difficult to prove, so it takes an attorney familiar with the insurance companies’ tactics to handle them well. If you’ve been injured, contact The Khalidi Law Firm for a free consultation today.
Is it Chronic Pain?
Medical professionals divide pain into two types: chronic and acute. Acute pain is the pain you feel immediately after receiving an injury. The purpose of acute pain is to let you know you’ve been injured and motivate you to do something about it. It generally goes away after the injury heals.
Chronic pain, on the other hand, doesn’t go away after your neck injury heals. A chronic pain injury lasts for weeks, months, or years—long after the time when any visible injury has been healed. If you’re still experiencing pain from an injury that’s already healed, it’s likely that you’re suffering from chronic pain.
Managing Chronic Neck Pain After an Accident
Chronic pain is usually treated in one or more of these three ways: medication, therapy, and alternative treatments.
Medicines used to treat chronic pain include both over-the-counter (OTC) medications and prescription painkillers. Depending on the severity of the pain, your doctor may advise you to take a mild painkiller, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or aspirin, but with more serious pain stronger medications will be advised. In the most severe cases, doctors will prescribe opioid painkillers.
Chronic pain treatment can also include various therapies. These include physical therapies, occupational therapy, and behavioral therapy. They also include lifestyle changes, such as a routine of low-impact exercise. The therapies used to manage chronic pain are generally aimed at either strengthening the injured muscle areas, improving the person’s ability to relax, or both.
Alternative treatments include things like massage and acupuncture, which are not part of mainstream medical practice. If you’re considering any type of alternative treatment for your pain, consult a medical professional before you begin.
Spinal Injuries in Car Accidents
Neck pain in the aftermath of an accident can also be a sign of a spinal injury. These are some of the most serious injuries known to medicine and have the potential to lead to permanent disability, up to and including total paralysis. Generally, someone suffering from a spinal cord injury will show telltale signs that will be picked up by emergency personnel on the scene or medical professionals in the hospital. However, if you suspect that a spinal cord injury could have taken place, call 911 immediately.
A few of the signs of a spinal cord injury include the following: difficulty walking, loss of bladder or bowel control, inability to move the arms or legs, spreading numbness in the extremities, unconsciousness, headache, neck pain, shock, or an unnatural head position. These may be serious signs and should be brought to the attention of a medical professional as soon as possible.
Contact the Khalidi Law Firm
If you have a serious neck injury caused by a car accident, you may have a case. Talk to the Tucson car accident attorneys at The Khalidi Law Firm to find out. We have more than 20 years of experience helping families in the Tucson area get the closure they deserve. If a loved one is suffering from chronic pain and the insurance companies won’t give you what you deserve, contact our compassionate and capable Tucson injury lawyers at The Khalidi Law firm. We offer free consultations. Call us today
