Hidden Spinal Injuries After Low-Speed Car Accidents: What Pain Specialists Look For

Low-speed car accidents aren’t usually as scary or harmful as high-speed crashes, but they can still cause significant injury to your spine. In some cases, these injuries cause few, if any, obvious symptoms early on. 

Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, provide comprehensive care for car, motorcycle, and 18-wheeler collisions to help you stay as pain-free and healthy as possible.

Below, Dr. Kang explores the basics of low-speed car accident injuries, from common types to ways we can help.

Common low-speed car accident injuries

A low-speed car accident usually involves speeds of under 15 mph. Being rear-ended at a stoplight or four-way intersection is a common example. 

Even at low speeds, fender benders can jolt your spine, compress your nerves, or injure soft tissues. Spine issues we often see in our office include:

• Bruises
• Chronic back pain or neck pain
• Herniated discs
• Fractures
• Nerve damage
• Whiplash
• Sprains and strains

These injuries can happen to anyone in a vehicle, but the rear middle seat passenger may be most prone to them. And if you already have a chronic pain condition, such as arthritis, accidents can exacerbate those symptoms and the ongoing condition.

Why accident injuries stay hidden

Walking away from a car accident pain-free doesn’t necessarily mean you weren’t injured. In fact, many car accident injuries show signs hours or days later.

Delayed symptoms often stem from the rush of adrenaline and endorphins that flood your body upon impact. These natural chemicals mask pain. 

In addition, inflammation from an injury tends to increase gradually. So you can suffer an injury and not experience any swelling, redness, or related pain for a while. 

The same goes for numbness and tingling related to nerve compression, which may gradually unfold and worsen over time.

What to do about low-speed car accident injuries

If you’ve endured a car accident, it’s better to be safe than sorry in terms of getting medically checked out.  After a comprehensive exam, our team can diagnose your spine injury and recommend personalized treatment.

Depending on the specifics of your condition and your overall health, we may recommend rest, pain medication, a brace, physical therapy, or epidural injections. For severe spine injuries and those that fail to respond to conservative care, we may recommend surgery.

To learn more about hidden spinal injuries after an accident or get started with expert support, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.