You experienced a fender bender and feel fine other than a tweak in your back. Should you carry on as usual, grateful you weren’t seriously injured?
While a minor tweak may seem like one of the best-case scenarios after an accident, you shouldn’t ignore even mild back pain or injuries.
Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, treats auto accident injuries to restore your comfort and prevent complications.
We put the following information together to shed light on reasons to take back issues following a car accident seriously, even if they seem insignificant.
Even a minor car accident can subject your back to forceful or twisting movements that exceed your natural range of motion. These movements can cause a range of injuries, such as:
Symptoms from car accident injuries may include mild to severe back or neck pain, mobility challenges, stiffness, and swelling. Some back injuries, such as a compressed nerve, cause more tingling or numbness than pain.
A tweak in your back could stem from an injury that could worsen over time without treatment. You could end up with a lasting disability or pain that becomes chronic, lasting for months, years, or longer.
A clinical review of over 20 years of data showed that 63% of low back pain could be linked to a previous car accident injury.
Accident-related spine injuries don’t always cause obvious symptoms at first, so it’s easy to dismiss a more serious issue as a tweak. Adrenaline from the scary event and the gradual nature of inflammation make injuries like whiplash notorious for delayed symptoms.
Waiting until your symptoms appear or intensify brings risks of greater pain and discomfort, more injury, and the need for invasive treatment.
At Houston Pain Specialists, we apply a four-pronged approach to care following auto accidents. We start with an evaluation, including any needed imaging tests. From there, we recommend personalized pain management to ease your discomfort.
Next, we provide rehabilitation care to restore your function, mobility, and strength through physical therapy. Last, we offer ongoing support. Even for minor back injuries, recovery may take time. You won’t have to worry about going through that alone.
To learn more about back-related dangers of minor car accidents or to get on the path to relief, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.
