Atlanta Auto Accident Care
Car accidents are a leading cause of soft tissue injuries. Estimates indicate that as many as eighty percent of people involved in car accidents suffer from soft tissue injuries.
Workplace injuries resulting from a fall or sudden twist or blow can cause painful sprains and strains that can prevent you from being physically active and can totally disrupt your life.
A soft tissue injury is any damage or injury to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Soft tissue injuries may be sudden (acute) or get worse gradually (chronic). Sometimes these injuries aren’t detected right away because they don’t show up on X-rays and often don’t cause discomfort until some time after the accident occurs.
Soft tissue injuries can take between two and twelve weeks to heal, depending on the injury, initial and ongoing treatment, and the age and general health of the person. It is wise to seek medical treatment at the first sign of pain or numbness to avoid damage and chronic pain.
One of the most common soft tissue injuries to occur during a car accident is whiplash. Usually caused by a rear-end collision, whiplash is caused by the rapid jolting of the head forward and then back. Severe soft tissue damage can result, including strains or tears to the ligaments and tendons of the neck or even damage to the discs between the vertebrae that can cause long-term pain. Up to a third of whiplash victims report continuing neck pain as long as three years later.
Symptoms of Soft Tissue Injuries
Symptoms of soft tissue injuries can manifest some time after an accident occurs. It can take as long as several days or a few weeks after. Even if you’ve been treated and released by paramedics or from an emergency room, you should still keep an eye out for any unusual discomfort or pain. Symptoms to be aware of include:
- Headaches
- Neck pain
- Sore muscles or spasms in the back
- Tingling or numbness in the extremities
- Dizziness or nausea
If you experience any of these symptoms, or any discomfort or pain after a car accident, call HealthMed right away to determine if the symptoms might be due to soft tissue injury suffered during the accident. If they are, a treatment plan to relieve the pain and increase healing will see you through the disruptive pain in your life. Our goal is to get you back to optimal wellness and doing all the things that you love to do.
HealthMed accepts most auto insurance and we are In-Network Preferred Providers for UnitedHealthCare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and Medicare-including Advantage plans.