Car accidents result in over 2 million emergency room visits each year in the United States. And that doesn’t include the many people who attempt to self-treat their symptoms or believe their injuries aren’t severe enough to demand medical attention.
Most any injury from a car accident can benefit from medical care, and attempting to ignore potential symptoms is never a good idea.
Our expert team at Houston Pain Specialists, led by board-certified pain management specialist Hui Kang, MD, diagnoses and treats a range of painful conditions linked to car accidents to help ensure your long-term well-being.
Let’s delve into car accident injuries, including the importance of effective treatment.
Car accidents cause a broad range of injuries, depending on factors such as the intensity of the impact and whether you were wearing a seatbelt. Some of the most common injuries from fender benders to full-on wrecks include:
You might also develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from experiencing such a stressful event.
While some of these conditions are obvious right away due to symptoms like intense bleeding or mental confusion, others may take time to reveal themselves.
Not only do some car accident injury symptoms crop up later — such as headaches as an injury progresses — but the adrenaline spike you experienced from the shock of an accident can mask your pain.
If you ignore your injury or it gets worse, delaying treatment may lead to complications, like chronic pain.
Seeking care after an accident may also save you from the need for more invasive treatments and accumulated medical bills later. Prompt treatment can improve your quality of life and may even help it.
Given how common chronic pain is in general and after accidents, getting checked out by an expert is essential. Our team at Houston Pain Specialists creates personalized treatment plans based on the type and severity of your injury and your overall health.
If you’re dealing with intense neck or back pain, you may be a good candidate for epidurals. These injections, placed in the space surrounding your spinal cord, deliver an anesthetic and cortisone for reduced pain and inflammation.
If you’re experiencing pain in just one part of your body, such as your upper or lower back, epidurals or medial branch nerve blocks, which block pain signals between the injured area and your brain, may help.
For nerve damage or complex regional pain syndrome after an accident, we may recommend a spinal cord stimulator. This special device uses mild electrical impulses to lower your pain.
For milder or lingering pain, we may suggest over-the-counter pain medication, modified activities, or physical therapy. In many cases, a combination of treatments leads to the best results.
To learn more about car accident injuries or to get the care you need, contact our Houston, Texas, office today to schedule an appointment.
