By Dr. Anderson | November 21, 2021

Car accidents are a scary, common, and prevalent reality of the world we live in today. There are roughly 6 million accidents a year in the United States, meaning over 10,000 accidents occur each day.

No one wants to be in a car accident, but it is important to be prepared in case you are: utilize safety features of your vehicle, practice safe driving, and know the proper steps to take after you are in an accident. In this article, we are going to walk you through what a recovery will look like after an accident – specifically how long you should expect to be in pain and experienced soreness. Keep in mind that we at StoneBridge Chiropractic are here to provide treatment for any pain and suffering after a car accident – more on that later.

THE FACTORS

Soreness and pain after a car accident are extremely normal and to be expected. Soreness is a response of a muscle – it’s a way of your body protecting itself and responding to the sudden impact. The extent of soreness (and other things like the type of treatment you require, the seriousness of injuries, etc.) will depend on a variety of factors discussed below.

The Severity Of The Accident

How serious the accident is will greatly affect the injuries you get, and in turn, will greatly affect your soreness after a car accident. The more serious an accident, the more serious injuries you will have, and the sorer you will be. Which now begs the question: what determines the seriousness of an accident?

A lot goes into how an accident plays out, but the most influencing factors are speed and type of collision. If two fast-driving cars get into an accident, it will be much more severe (and you will be much sorer) compared to a slow-moving accident. The type of accident (head-on, “T-bone”, rear end, etc.) will affect the direction in which you are thrown in the car, and then affect what parts of your body may be sore. The type of accident also affects the severity of the accident (on average, head-on collisions tend to be more severe and will thus result in more pain). Keep in mind that any accidents should be treated seriously and will likely result in pain.

Your Overall Health

Your well-being will greatly influence how sore after a car accident you are and the extent of pain you feel. For example, if you were already suffering from physical injuries (like a headache, sprain, etc.), they could worsen after a car accident and have you in more pain compared to a completely healthy and well-abled person.

Even “internal” health factors, such as heart and breathing conditions, will affect how your body responds to being in an accident, and thus how sore you are. In general, the more healthy you are, the less sore you will be and the faster you’ll be able to recover.

The Safety Of Your Car

Having a safe car is necessary. Functioning seatbelts, airbags, and seats will protect you during an accident and reduce the resulting pain and injuries you may sustain. A car without the necessary safety features (or a car without updated safety) can result in worse injury and potentially a much longer recovery time.

Where You Are In The Vehicle

Your position (and the position of others) in the vehicle is extremely impactful in the extent of injury everyone involved will experience. This factor is closely related to how the accident occurs: if you are on the side of impact, your injuries will be far more serious than someone farther away from the point of impact.

In addition, how you are sitting will affect your injuries. Sitting with your feet up on the dash or out the window could result in extremely painful and severe injuries. Do your best to sit up straight and properly while riding in a car – that way if an accident does occur, you will shave weeks, if not months, off your recovery and soreness time.

Your Age

As unfair as it may seem, your age plays a big role in your recovery timeline and pain/soreness after an accident. Older people will have a harder time recovering, as their bodies have a harder time bouncing back and mending themselves. They will feel more pain not only from the injuries themselves but likely from physical therapy and treatment as well. Younger people, on the other hand, will take fewer weeks to recovery as their bodies are better able to bounce back and recover quickly. They will likely experience less pain and symptoms on average.

Anyone will recover more quickly with medical treatment, including chiropractic care. Regardless of your age, you should book a consultation with us to get you on a faster and easier road to recovery and pain-free living.

THE MOST COMMON INJURIES

There is a vast array of potential injuries you could suffer from as a result of a car accident. Injuries sustained could vary from a minor sprain to traumatic brain injuries to soft tissue injuries to spinal cord injuries – all are common and all need to be treated. Their severity, and extent of medical treatment required, will vary based on the injury.

Remember: always seek medical attention right away after a car accident. Regardless of the perceived severity or if you have a complete lack of symptoms and pain, it is very important to seek medical attention and get checked out, even if it’s just a small fender bender.

Whiplash (Neck Pain)

Arguably the most common injury from a car accident, whiplash is the neck pain and stiffness you feel when you try to turn your head. This injury happens when your head is abruptly thrown forward (or backward, or to the side, etc.) as a result of a sudden change in direction (in the case of a car accident, the sudden change in direction is the impact).

Whiplash will inhibit mobility in your neck, making it difficult to turn your head and sometimes making it difficult to sleep. The pain will vary from severe to almost unnoticeable. Whiplash can last up to several weeks, though some people recover much more quickly. A more serious whiplash injury could require a neck brace and a longer recovery time.

Sprains

Sprains in the limbs are fairly common after an accident, considering your body can bend in unnatural and uncomfortable positions. Depending on how serious the sprain is, the pain could last several days or several months.

Most sprains will need some sort of brace – more severe sprains could be breaks and require a cast. Your doctor will determine what type of brace is best for you and your injury.

Spine/back Pain

Pain in the back is extremely common after a car accident, but should not be overlooked. The spinal cord is a very delicate and critical part of the body – any injury to it must be taken seriously. Spinal cord injuries are unfortunately quite common during a car accident and should receive medical attention from a medical professional right away.

Any back pain should be reported to your doctor so they can determine what best course of action should be taken.

The pain can last anywhere from weeks to months – it all depends on the factors laid out above.

Headache

A non-serious and minor headache from a car accident should only last a day or two. These headaches are quite common after a car crash. Your body will be jostled in an accident – if your head or brain gets jostled as well, getting a headache is your body’s way of protecting itself.

Any pain lasting longer than a few days could be indicative of more serious injuries within the head and/or neck. Keep in mind that traumatic brain injury can occur during serious accidents. If your headache doesn’t go away after a few days, and/or you are experiencing chronic pain in your head, go see a doctor as soon as possible.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Should I Go Back To See A Doctor?

Make sure to monitor closely how you feel (particularly your pain levels) in the days after an accident. Your doctor may have told you to look out for certain types of pain or symptoms. If you start experiencing pain your doctor told you to look out for: give them a call.

If you feel anything that isn’t normal for you after a week, it would be safe to call your doctor and see if you need to come in and get checked out. If you feel anything just slightly wrong or out of place after four or six weeks: call a doctor to set up an appointment and see what’s wrong.

Should I See A Chiropractor?

Yes! We at StoneBridge Chiropractic see (and offer) the incredible benefits to be had by car accident victims with chiropractic care.

Chiropractors can work with you to develop a treatment plan that will provide long-term benefits and get you back on your feet (without pain) faster than those who do not seek out treatment. The services we offer can help relieve most pain, soreness, and symptoms by treating injuries right at their root. Chiropractic care will not only provide pain relief but treat both minor and serious injuries.

We offer a free consultation where we evaluate your injuries and can get you a rough idea of a treatment and therapy plan, including how often to come in for treatments. If you are still sore after a car accident (after receiving proper medical attention from a doctor), contact us or leave your name/email/phone number to set up a free consultation. Make sure to bring any relevant medical information (including x rays, the treatment you may have received, etc.) so we can best conduct your evaluation. We can and will also discuss your insurance policy and payment plans during your free consultation.

Another option (perhaps in conjunction with chiropractic treatment) for you could be physical therapy. Physical therapy can be prescribed by a doctor for more intensive treatment and rehabilitation. This will be a result of more traumatic injuries to the body that require more time and perhaps with the supervision of a doctor.

Should I Call A Car Accident Lawyer Or A Personal Injury Lawyer?

Many people, after being involved in a car accident, explore the option of getting in contact with a personal injury attorney if they were badly injured. You’ve likely seen many advertisements for “car accident lawyer” or “personal injury attorney at law” in your area. If you have insurance problems, high medical bills, or feel in any way you need to be compensated: it is worth calling a personal injury attorney or clicking on the quick links on their websites.

Many accident victims have received great help from a personal injury attorney – they can claim you on just a basis of pain and suffering. If you still experience pain, feel sore, or have chronic injuries after several weeks: consider calling an attorney at law. Some will even offer free consultations, and occasionally free cases.

How Serious Are My Injuries (E.g. Spinal Cord Injuries)?

You must be very vigilant about monitoring your pain and physical symptoms following an accident. Make sure you discuss your symptoms with your doctor when you get checked out – they’ll be able to give insight on their severity and signs you should look out for.

During your recovery, keep in mind that more serious injuries, like the spinal cord, will hurt for much longer and take more intensive therapy to recover from. Less serious pain, like a crook in your neck, will take less time. This is all very normal. Don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you’re “taking too long to recover”. How bad the injuries and pain are will greatly affect your timeline. Just make sure you work with your care providers.

IN CONCLUSION

Pain from car accidents should always be taken seriously. Your mantra should be “all pain is bad pain”. The extent of your pain and for how long you feel sore is going to vary based on the factors that we’ve laid out. Some pain will last six days, some six weeks, some six months.

If your pain does not go away after a reasonable time: call your doctor and consider calling an attorney. Even the simple headache could turn out to be a traumatic brain injury, or back pain could become a spine injury. Take your injuries seriously and continuously monitor yourself.

If it seems to be a good option for you, contact us today to set up an appointment. Chiropractors can provide incredible physical treatment to help alleviate pain and symptoms from car accidents. We are here to help you and hold firm beliefs that chiropractic care can help.

Car accidents are scary. The path to treat your injuries, whether that be from a doctor, chiropractic care, or physical therapy, can sometimes be scarier. Not knowing when your pain, symptoms, and soreness will go away is scary. Dealing with insurance and attorneys is scary. At the end of the day, make sure you monitor yourself, keep a close relationship with your health care providers, and follow the guidelines we have laid out in this beginner’s guide.

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I’m Dr. Anderson — thanks for reading!