Car accidents happen all too often on Georgia roadways. In fact, according to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia, there were a total of 390,158 crashes in 2017. Of those crashes, another 15,623 were suspected to include serious injuries, including whiplash, broken bones, soft tissue damage, and more.
What many patients don’t understand is that minor injuries, such as whiplash, can be just as harmful as major injuries, especially in the musculoskeletal structure.
What is Whiplash and Why Should You Seek Treatment?
Whiplash is a common soft tissue injury that occurs when a patient’s head is thrust forward and snaps back as the result of a sudden jarring motion, such as during a car accident. Whiplash can occur at any speed and no matter if you are wearing a seatbelt or not.
For most individuals, whiplash treatment simply includes rest and over the counter pain medications for a few days. However, in many cases, patients do not know they are suffering from whiplash, and do not seek out treatment until weeks after the fact when unexplained pain surfaces.
3 Signs You Should Seek Whiplash Treatment Immediately
Whiplash can often take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to show symptoms, and many individuals do not seek out treatment until they are experiencing severe symptoms, including pain, numbness, and changes to their mood or vision. That said, here are three of the most common symptoms you want to watch for following a car accident:
1. Mood Changes
When whiplash treatment is put off, some individuals may experience constant fatigue, trouble sleeping, and unexplained irritability or depression.
2. Pain/Stiffness/Numbness
Pain is most often experienced in the head and neck. However, it can also radiate down to your shoulders, arms, and lower back. Since whiplash is a soft tissue injury, many also experience stiffness in the muscles in these areas. If you push treatment off for too long, however, you could experience either tingling or numbness.
3. New/Unexplained Memory Problems
Whiplash, unfortunately, can lead to new and/or unexplained memory problems. This is because the brain can sustain damage during the accident due to the sudden forward and backward snapping motion.
Whiplash Treatment in Lithonia, Georgia
Whiplash occurs all too often, and the team at Ortho Injury and Wellness Center understands that seeking immediate whiplash treatment is essential to the recovery process.