Most Common Auto Accident Injuries & How to Treat Them

Injuries are quite common following a car accident regardless of whether it was a head-on collision or minor fender bender. 

There are a wide variety of injuries that can result from car accidents; some are mild and easily treated, while others can be severe and have long-lasting consequences. 

Here are some of the most common auto accident injuries and how we treat them at Impact Med Wesley Chapel. 

Common Auto Accident Injuries

Many injuries can occur due to an accident including: 

Broken Bones and Fractures 

A car accident can inflict extreme amounts of force on your body causing broken bones and painful fractures. Recovery from broken bones and fractures depends on the type of break: simple or compound. 

Simple fractures refer to injuries where bones break but do not create an open wound. They are often treated by protecting the healing fracture in a cast. 

Compound fractures are those that penetrate the skin and often require surgery to correct. 

Scrapes and Cuts 

Glass, metal, and loose objects in your vehicle can cause cuts and scrapes if they are thrown against your skin during an accident. While these injuries are usually mild, more serious cuts and lacerations may need stitches to help them heal. 

Soft Tissue Damage 

Soft tissue damage is the most common type of car accident injury and is caused by injury to your body’s connective tissue. When your muscles, tendons, and ligaments get stretched or torn during a car accident, injuries such as bruising, strains, or sprains often follow. 

Back and Neck Injuries 

Back and neck injuries are also quite common following a car accident due to the impact of force against the spine. Mid and low-back strains and neck injuries are common and can lead to serious complications if not treated. 

Herniated discs often occur when the spinal vertebrae rupture or shift out of place during an accident. 

Whiplash refers to soft tissue injuries to the neck, often due to a rear collision. The pain of whiplash may not appear immediately following a crash, but when it does set in, it can be debilitating. Recovery from whiplash may involve manual and chiropractic therapy, a neck brace, ice, and medication. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Mental and emotional trauma following a car accident is more common than you may think. Signs of PTSD include depression, hopelessness, anxiety, paranoia, and flashbacks. 

PTSD can be treated with manual therapy and other holistic approaches to emotional and mental wellbeing. 

Treating Auto Accident Injuries

Here are some modalities that we may use at Impact Med Wesley Chapel to treat injuries following an auto accident. 

Chiropractic Treatments

After an accident, chiropractic adjustments can decrease pain throughout your entire body. The relief from pain is the result of a pain-reducing hormone that is released during spinal manipulations and can lead to lasting results. 

Stiffness and soreness after an auto accident can reduce your mobility, but chiropractic adjustments help mobilize the spine, enhance mobility, and stimulate the body’s natural healing processes. 

Manual Therapy 

After an auto accident, your muscles may go into a “protective mode” due to sudden trauma and may tighten and cause pain in affected areas. Manual therapy has many benefits after a car accident and can help relieve pain, anxiety, and foster healing in your entire body. 

Not to mention that manual therapy has also been shown to be effective in treating the after-effects of PTSD following an accident. 

Other physical therapy modalities include:

• Ultrasound therapy
• Stretching 
• Joint mobilization
• Light exercise

Get Relief from Auto Accident Injuries with Impact Med 

If you have been in a car accident, don’t wait to get relief from your injuries, and visit our wellness center at Impact Med Wesley Chapel. We will create a unique treatment plan just for you and will help to alleviate pain, restore mobility, and enhance overall wellness following a car accident. 

Get relief from car accident injuries at Impact Med Wesley Chapel today! Call to schedule an appointment—813-953-1002!