The best way to stop a car in motion is gradually. As you approach a red light or intersection, you’ll apply the brakes and slowly come to a stop. By doing that, you’ll decrease the kinetic energy you create when you’re in motion. When you come to a sudden stop, your car stops, but your body continues to move forward, only to be restrained (hopefully) by your seat belt. Even with a seat belt, your body can suffer a shocking jolt.
One of the most common injuries from a car collision or sudden stop is whiplash. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are an estimated 3 million cases of whiplash occurring across the country each year. This is a soft tissue neck injury that is similar to the “crack of a whip.” It can present with the following common symptoms:
- Neck stiffness
- Soreness
- Pain
- Headaches
Depending on the severity of the trauma, those symptoms can last for just a few days. Unfortunately, in extreme cases, the damage from whiplash may be permanent, and that can have a significant impact on your quality of life.
Delayed Reaction
When you get into an accident, your body will release a major dose of adrenaline. This physiological response is part of the DNA-coded “fight or flight” response. It means that the pain associated with whiplash can be masked until the adrenaline wears down. You might not feel those first twinges of pain for several hours or even until the next day.
When that occurs, you might not think the situation is serious. After all, you’ve probably experienced these kinds of aches if you’ve worked out or bumped into furniture. That is why it is essential to seek medical attention as soon as possible after a car accident, even if you’re not experiencing any pain.
Long-term Impact of Untreated Whiplash
If the whiplash hasn’t completely immobilized you, you might feel as though the pain will just go away. Unfortunately, not treating a whiplash injury can intensify the pain and make matters worse for your mobility. According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine, 7.8% of the study participants could not return to their usual activity level one year after the accident.
The following are some of the other potential long-term effects of whiplash that could become permanent if left untreated.
Chronic Pain
A torn or stressed muscle or ligament requires targeted physical therapy treatment in order to heal properly. Without that treatment, you could experience chronic pain. This is the kind of soreness that persists throughout the day and into the night. It can impede your ability to focus on work or get to sleep at night. It generally makes life miserable.
Vertigo
The Cleveland Clinic describes vertigo as “a sensation that the environment around you is spinning in circles. It can make you feel dizzy and off-balance.” Vertigo can also make you feel queasy and cause you to fall and further injure yourself. If your whiplash has caused a misalignment of your cervical spine, you could experience non-vestibular dizziness. That means it’s not a symptom of inner ear infection or damage.
Recurring Headaches
Along with the muscle pain that radiates from your neck, you could also experience recurring headaches. These headaches can also intensify into migraines that will persist for several hours and be extremely debilitating. In addition to the whiplash injury to your neck and spine, the force of the impact could also cause a concussion, which leads to dizziness, nausea, confusion, and fatigue.
Degenerative Disc Disease
If your whiplash injury is left untreated, it can contribute to degenerative disc disease. This is a condition that relates to the damage to the discs between the vertebrae along the spinal column. The more the discs break down, the more likely you will experience pain, weakness, and numbness.
Avoiding Permanent Damage From Whiplash
The most effective way to avoid permanent damage from whiplash is to get it treated immediately. If you’re concerned about the costs, you should talk with the attorneys at Curcio Law. We’ve helped many clients who were in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence to get compensation for all their medical expenses. You shouldn’t have to pay for recovery when it wasn’t your fault.
