Sometimes, people don’t know what to expect when they pursue medical treatment for serious car accident injuries. We have found it to be helpful to let our clients know about some common injuries from car accidents and common medical procedures they may undergo during their healing process.
Common Car Accident Injuries
We find that many of our clients suffer injuries to the head, back, neck, hips, knees, wrists, shoulders, and ankles. Sometimes there are fractures, while other times the injuries may be “soft tissue” injuries. This simply refers to an injury that does not involve the bone, such a strain, sprain, or serious bruising.
At the time, such injuries may seem manageable. However, in the long run, they may cause all sorts of problems. “Soft tissue” injuries may sound or seem minor, but they can often be serious and life-altering, causing chronic pain and limitations that you did not have before. For example, a “soft tissue” injury to one of your vertebral discs can be a disc herniation that impinges on your spinal cord, requiring surgery to alleviate your symptoms.
Another, serious type of injury sometimes seen in car accidents is a traumatic brain injury, or TBI. The effects of a TBI can be life-altering and require significant medical treatment for the rest of your life.
Types of Treatment
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- X-Rays: X-rays will be taken if there is suspicion that you have broken a bone in your car accident. An X-ray is a form of radiation that passes through your body and allows an image to be produced showing details of the interior of your body. X-rays are quick and easy, but carry some risk due to the radiation. The x-ray itself causes no pain, but you may find it uncomfortable to be put into position for the x-ray if you have an injury. X-rays simply rule out fractures and do not show soft tissue damage.
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- MRI: MRI stands for “magnetic resonance imaging.” An MRI scan uses special magnetic technology and is performed when doctors need to be able to see inside the body in ways that cannot be accomplished using X-rays or other techniques. You might get an MRI to examine your brain or to look at injuries to your soft tissues, bones, or internal organs from your car accident. An MRI is harmless and painless to you, but you will need to lie still and flat on a table while you are slid into the large device that holds the magnet. Some people find the experience claustrophobic. You may be able to use an “open” MRI or take a sedative if this bothers you.
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- CT scans: A CT scan or CAT scan may be taken to investigate any internal organ or your joints and bones. CT scans provide more and better information than a simple X-ray.During a CT scan, you will lie on a table that passes through a donut-shaped scanner which takes images of your body. The scan is painless. As with an MRI, you may experience claustrophobic feelings.
- Physical therapy: A physical therapist can help you with pain, reduced fitness, and difficulty moving after a car accident. He or she may help you do exercises and stretches, teach you exercises, do massage or otherwise manipulate your body and joints in ways specially tailored to your injury. Physical therapists are trained and certified for this work. At times, physical therapy may be slightly painful or uncomfortable, but it will often help you recover from your injury. However, sometimes physical therapy fails to help. If physical therapy fails, you will often be referred back to your specialist.
When you’ve been injured in a car accident, the medical terms and procedures you encounter sometimes be overwhelming and frightening. We have worked with many car accident survivors like you and know what you’re going through. If you need assistance with personal injury from a car accident, contact us online or call (352) 376-1200.