Why Is Back Pain Often Delayed After An Accident?

Oftentimes, after an accident, we might walk away feeling relatively fine, ultimately deciding to skip the trip to the doctor. After all, if you feel no back pain, you’re probably fine… right? Here at Impact Medical Sun City, we will always encourage a trip to get checked out by a medical professional after an accident, and here’s why!

Does Adrenaline Really Delay Pain?

Adrenaline is often the reason many people think they are walking away from a recent accident as a superhuman who came out unscathed. During a stressful situation, the body’s fight-or-flight response is activated, thus leading to the release of adrenaline. This response is used to keep the body and mind safe and ready to deal with immediate danger, which is why all other feelings and sensations are dulled or undetectable. Oftentimes, severe pain is debilitating and it’s in the body’s best interest to help it get to a safe place before feeling stuck in pain.

Muscle Strain and Inflammation

During an accident, back muscles can microtear which doesn’t always result in immediate pain. The body is designed to help repair damage, and sending extra blood flood to on injured areas is a surefire way to trigger an immune response and get the body started on protecting and repairing the damage. As you can imagine, this takes some time for the body to respond to! When it does, you’ll be able to feel it! This is why a day or two after an accident most people end up with soreness and pain in places that were seemingly fine before.

Wear and Tear On Undetected Injuries

If you’re feeling relatively pain-free, you might shake off the shock of an accident and jump right back into daily life afterward. As we discussed, pain-free doesn’t always mean injury-free, and not taking time to rest might inflame areas in your back that would have done well with a little rest. Contact rubbing and pulling of the spine or muscles with microtears or small injuries could lead to even more damage, or inflammation, causing issues that could last longer than a few days in bed would have.

Taking precautionary steps after an accident is always the safest choice. Our team of medical professionals can assess your injuries, painful or not, to ensure no further damage is done. We will also help you prepare for any swelling that could occur days or even weeks in the future. This can look like pain medications, or even a few physical therapy appointments to help manage any post-accident injuries or pain. If you or a loved one recently got into an accident, please give us a call at 813-536-5892 so we can help!