Call NowIs Nerve Damage From a Car Accident Permanent?
A car accident can change a person’s life in just one moment. A serious collision can cause a lifetime of trauma, and victims can suffer from several injuries due to the force of impact, and many are left with significant nerve damage. There are over 100 types of nerve damage, ranging from mild to severe. Unfortunately, some nerve damage is permanent. Read on to learn more about car accident nerve damage injuries, and what you can do to treat them.
What Are Car Accident Nerve Damage Injuries?
Nerves are the key component of the nervous system, a network that’s involved in everything your body does. Nerves are responsible for countless functions, from controlling your muscles to regulating your breathing, sensing cold and heat, and more.
Impact injuries from car accidents often lead to nerve damage injuries. They occur when a nerve is compressed, crushed, pinched, or stretched due to trauma. Since nerves are so integral to essential bodily functions, any nerve damage can have a big impact on your overall quality of life.
Degrees of Nerve Damage Injuries
There are many types of traumas that can affect nerves, and “nerve damage” is an umbrella term for these injuries. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, visit a doctor immediately who can diagnose and treat your condition, including nerve injuries. Your doctor will quantify your nerve damage by its severity, as follows:
- Neurapraxia: Nerve injuries that fall within this category are the least severe. Full recovery is often possible, as the structure of the nerve remains intact.
- Axonotmesis: This more serious nerve injury can result in long-term or permanent paralysis of sensory and motor functions since the structure of the nerve is compromised.
- Neurotmesis: The most severe of all nerve damage injuries, neurotmesis results in permanent damage since the nerve is severed entirely.
Many types of common car accident injuries can cause nerve damage, including:
- Blunt force trauma
- Herniated discs
- Pinched nerves
- Whiplash
Treatment for Pinched Nerves
Regardless of whether you were in a major collision or a minor one, seek medical attention immediately after a car accident. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent the damage and symptoms from getting worse—even if you feel no symptoms immediately following the incident.
As with other medical conditions, treatment varies from person to person. Some patients may recover with rest, while more aggressive symptoms may require medical treatment like medication, physical therapy, steroid injections, and nerve ablations. In some cases, surgery is necessary to remove scar tissue, disc material, or even pieces of bone that may be affecting the nerves.
Recover From Car Accident-Related Nerve Injuries With the Help of Impact Medical Group
If you’re living with nerve damage following a car accident, the team at Impact Medical Group of Port Richey is ready to help. Our team of doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists work together to provide diagnostic and treatment options that provide lasting relief from your injuries. Get back on the road to recovery today by calling us at (727) 848-3377 to schedule your free consultation.
