How a Minor Fender Bender Can Cause Long-Lasting Effects

Posted on January 20, 2020

When people get into minor car accidents, they rarely get a hospital checkup. People believe that they can only get serious injuries from major auto accidents. However, fender benders have been known to cause serious injuries. An accident that forces your car to stop fast or to swerve from side to side has the potential to hurt you. Here are some examples of injuries that can result from fender benders.
 

Soft Tissue Injury


Soft tissue injury is common with minor accidents. You may think that you are okay since you have no deep lacerations or fractures. You can experience bruised muscles as well as torn ligaments and tendons. Muscle sprain, contusions, and tendinitis also affect soft tissue after auto accidents. Some of the injuries may not manifest immediately; they appear later, days after the accident.
 

Whiplash


Whiplash is a neck injury that is the result of forceful back and forth neck movements. If you are speeding and then stop suddenly, your neck experiences movement like that of a cracking whip. Whiplash can cause chronic neck and back pain.
 

It can also cause a stiff neck and muscle sprain. Some people do not feel the pain immediately due to adrenaline. They wake up later and cannot move their head. Severe whiplash can result in paralysis.
 

Concussion


A concussion is a mild brain injury caused by blunt trauma to the brain. Hitting your head during a fender bender can result in a concussion. Whiplash contributes to many concussion cases. When the brain is shaken back and forth rapidly, it shuts down temporarily to protect itself from further injury.
 

You may be unconscious after a concussion. Some people suffer from migraines, neck, and back pain after a concussion. Problems with concentration, memory gap, focus, and headaches are side effects of having a concussion.
 

Neck Stiffness


Neck stiffness is caused by straining the neck muscle. After the fender bender, you wake up days later and you cannot move your head. It is a result of a sprain and tension in the soft tissue of the neck. It can be quite uncomfortable and even deter you from going about your normal day.
 

Blurry Vision


If you experience blurry vision after an accident, you should treat it as an emergency. Sometimes, the blurry vision is just a side effect of a concussion. However, it can also be a symptom of a serious brain injury. If you have a blurry vision as well as sensitivity to light and trouble focusing, seek medical intervention immediately.
 

Emotional Trauma


The wounds and pain after an accident can be an emotional downer. Sometimes, you can be in an auto accident and come out unscathed. However, it is a scary experience that can haunt you later. When other people who you travel with get fatal injuries and you are spared, it can be depressing.
 

Some people have been known to suffer from survivor’s guilt and PTSD because they were unharmed in accidents that hurt others badly. Even losing your car and having running battles with insurance companies is emotionally draining. It is okay to take a break from the roads if you can to recover emotionally.
 

To know more about the effects of minor accidents, visit Accident and Injury Chiropractic at our office in Tacoma, Washington. You can also call (253) 215-8350 to book an appointment today.

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