Auto Accidents

Car accident injuries are unfortunately quite common in Southern California, from minor fender benders to severe fatal accidents. No matter how safe and defensively we drive, sometimes we can’t avoid the accident.

Injuries from auto accidents can be as minor as mild muscle spasms to more severe such as brain damage, broken bones, and spinal cord injuries. However, many auto injuries can have delayed a person having initial symptoms after sustaining an injury in a car accident. This is because when you’re in an auto accident, your body tries to protect you from the trauma by releasing adrenaline. This hormone is designed to protect you from harm by causing the “fight or flight” response when you’re in a dangerous situation. Within minutes of exposure to a traumatic event, there is an increase in the level of endorphins in the brain which help numb the emotional and physical pain of the trauma. It is our own pain killer that is 18 to 23 times stronger than morphine.

However, after the trauma is over, endorphin levels gradually decrease and this may lead to a period of endorphin withdrawal that can last from hours to days. In addition to having adrenaline masking your symptoms after an auto accident, it can also take time for injuries to appear while your body settles back down after the trauma. Neck pain may be delayed for several days. Other symptoms such as headaches, back pain and upper-extremity symptoms, may have their onset several weeks to months later.

Whether you got hit or hit the other vehicle, auto accident trauma starts with the transfer of energy to the body from an outside force. When you ride in a car, your body moves at the same rate of speed as your vehicle. During an impact, your car stops, but your body continues moving until it suddenly stops because of a seatbelt, airbag, or another barrier. This abrupt change in momentum often causes soft tissue damage.

You should have your body examined as soon as possible after an accident, even if you don’t think you have any injuries. If your car has any sort of damage, your body likely does too. If you felt some kind of impact at the time of the collision, then your body was involved in trauma. Trauma to your joints and to the spinal column can cause spinal cord injuries and lead to early degenerative joint disease and arthritis. Getting an early diagnosis of a car accident injury can help speed up your recovery and reduce your risks of long-term pain and complications in the future like degenerative joint diseases and arthritis.

What are Some Symptoms of Auto Injury?

Some of the common symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Blurry vision or dizziness
• Nausea
• Low back pain
• Difficulty remembering things or problems concentrating
• Pain in your arm or hand
• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
  
• Back or shoulder pain
  
• Neck stiffness
  
• Numbness in your hands or feet
  
• Reduced range of motion of the neck, back, and joints