The most common injury you are likely to suffer from after a car accident is muscle (and ligament and tendon) injury, also known as a soft tissue injury. Examples of muscle damage include whiplash injuries to your neck (a common motor vehicle accident injury),
which occur when the muscles and tendons become stretched due to sudden movements. Sudden movements cause the neck to suddenly jerk forward and backward and then snap back into position. Whiplash is particularly common in rear-end collisions.
Whiplash is commonly thought of as a single injury. In reality, however, whiplash is actually a series of soft-tissue strains in the neck. It can result in stiffness of the neck (and reduced motion), sharp pain in the neck, pain and weakness in the shoulders and arms, headaches, dizziness and, in some cases, blurred vision and memory and concentration problems. Back problems can also develop, but that will be discussed below.It is also important to note that although whiplash can occur immediately following an accident, this is not always the case. It’s also common for whiplash to develop several days after being in a car accident. The problem with whiplash is that some individuals may not perceive it as particularly serious and fail to seek treatment. However, when people suffer from whiplash and do not seek treatment, this can lead to chronic neck and back pain, ultimately affecting your quality of life.
Muscle Weakness
Many people suffer from herniated discs after a car accident, which can cause muscle weakness, numbness and tingling sensations, as well as arm and leg pain.As mentioned, not all injuries are immediately evident after a car accident. Some may take days, weeks (and in some cases even months) before injuries become evident. Therefore, it is extremely important that you always seek immediate medical attention after a car accident, regardless of how minor it was.
Muscle Spasams
Muscle spasms can also occur after a car accident. If you are suffering from significant neck and/or back pain, it is likely you are actually suffering from muscle spasms, which occur after the muscles have been stretched. Technically, the muscles tighten up as a way to protect you from engaging in further movement that could injure you even more. However, additional injury and damage can occur if left untreated. This overstretching of the muscle fibers also causes swelling, which leads to muscle aches.