Unlike most global issues that have somewhat gotten tackled, road accidents still exist to be a common problem. Common road accident injuries include whiplash injury, discomfort felt in the lower back, and disc herniation. Such post-collision injuries are unique because of how anyone has the likelihood of suffering because of them. It negates the common belief that taller people have a greater chance of falling victim to it and ranks the idea as nothing more than a preconceived notion.
Whiplash accidents and disc herniation pertain to the wear and tear of nerve cells and the tearing of joints and muscles due to the sudden collision. Other post-accident indications include chronic pain in the neck area and a loss of feeling coupled with tingling in several body parts. Let us continue reading further to investigate how and why such accidents occur and what treatment gets prescribed for a speedy recovery.
Understanding Disc Herniation
All accident injury doctors need to be on a lookout post-accident to see any signs of discomfort in any part of the body. A more comprehensive guide given below might help you understand what disc herniation or slipped is and what its symptoms include.
The spinal cord is such that bones around it contain discs that neutralize shock levels after an accident occurs. A herniated disc causes discomfort because it is unlike a regular disc. What happens is that the cracked annulus of the slipped disc causes the disc nucleus to poke out of its outer composition. Hence, it then gets embedded into the thin spinal canal. Since the spinal cord has a very narrow structure, it has no space to hold the disc nucleus in place, and that causes a general misalignment of the discs. This compressing of the spinal nerves eventually causes surges of pain in the neck and lower back region. These surges can sometimes be unbearable, and therefore, it is crucial to get yourself checked by a professional doctor as soon as the patient feels any such threat.
Common Causes of Disc Herniation
Direct Injury
Perhaps it makes sense that automobile accidents are one of the most dangerous possibilities when driving on a busy road. A single slip-up goes a long way, and we need to know why accidents happen so that we do not make those same mistakes. Car accidents are high impact injuries because, in the case of an accident, high amounts of pressure get released onto the spinal cord. And the injury ultimately causes disc herniation if not treated with caution on time.
Other Post-Accident Injuries
However, this does not mean that automobile accidents are the sole proprietor for disc herniation. Other ways that could potentially cause the discs in your spine to slip include mishaps like stumbling and dropping from a height, mainly on your back and neck area. Another chance of accident and injury is negligence on the part of the players or lack of safety rules imposed on the fields. It exposes the players to accidents, and some severe cases can and still require surgical operations.
Genetics
Perhaps you would feel surprised that genetics play a role when it comes to back problems. Hereditary genes define how much you get to suffer at the hands of back issues, such as sciatica pain. So if one member of your family has some experience in this field, you or your siblings are more prone to facing the same, too. In conclusion, herniated discs work similarly to any other genetic illness, such as diabetes.
How to Spot a Herniated Disc
An accident injury doctor usually looks for the following symptoms.
- severe pain felt in the feet, arms, shoulders, buttocks, thighs, and the calves
- a loss of sensation or prickling feeling in several body parts
- some patients find difficulty in walking and feel more likely to falter and fall to the ground because balancing becomes tricky for them
- weakness felt all over the body
- unpredictable waves of burning feelings at the damaged areas
- severe discomfort in the lower regions of the back, below the spine
- wavering levels of pain in the neck area, areas surrounding the shoulder blade, or at the site of the slipped disc
Post-Accident Treatments
Non-Surgical Treatments
Doctors execute treatment plans to guide patients on what to do after a car accident. These plans rely on the severity of the slipped disc and the impact it has on the spine. Patients who want to avoid surgery at all costs have to religiously practice a series of rigorous exercise regimes such as yoga and stretching to relax the tense muscles. These workouts stop patients from being bound to their beds because that can cause even more swelling around the spinal nerves. Pharmaceutical drugs with anti-inflammatory characteristics get prescribed to those with low or severe lower back discomfort. These designated drugs include epidural injections to relieve pain instantly, X-rays, and spinal needles that make sure to transmit the medication to all the afflicted areas of the body. Such methods usually get paired with other treatments like physical therapy procedures like massages and ice and heat remedies.
Spinal Disc Surgery
However, at times, physical therapy is not sufficient to counter cases of disc herniation. Often, physical therapy is not enough to cure disc herniation, and such matters call for surgery as a last resort. Surgical procedures require mutual discussion and consent but can be incredibly effective in the long run.
Several tests then get conducted so that the patient first gets deemed fit enough for a complex procedure. It stops complications arising post-surgery because those restrict patients from being up and running on their feet at the earliest. Severe cases of a slipped disc usually include the following symptoms and require surgical intervention.
- in instances where the social and daily life of the patient gets drastically affected
- weakening of the muscles and leg numbing experienced on the daily
- bladder dysfunction
- difficulty in walking or standing and balancing
- crucial for cases where other procedures like medication and physical treatment fail to ease the distress of the patient
Subjects receive a detailed manual after accident injury treatment to make them aware of how to go about with their recovery procedure.
Other Injuries
Whiplash injury is another common posy-accident injury and a concept that is surprisingly not known to many. What happens is that during an accident, the sudden jerk of motion of the neck causes ligaments to stiffen. Since the neck muscles get connected to the spinal cord, the impact damages the spine and pushes it into an irregular S-shape, weakening the spinal ligaments.
Underlying Symptoms of Whiplash
Symptoms below for whiplash injury get experienced by patients within the first 24 hours of the accident.
- pain in the jaw region
- dizziness
- vision gets blurred
- lower back pain
- shoulder pain on either side
- a relative increase in stiffness as opposed to pre-accident stages
- the ringing of ears
- a numbing sensation observed in several parts of the body
- excessive exhaustion
Whiplash injury gets treated most effectively through an easy-to-do low impact exercise regimen to decrease damage to muscles.
Last Thoughts
In conclusion, whiplash treatment can only be holistically efficient by medicinal and psychological means to ensure a long-term cure.