If you have never been in a minor fender bender before, you might be surprised to know that even what seems like a small car accident can cause a serious injury like a herniated disc. The force of impact from even the most minor fender bender can still put a lot of pressure on your spine and even jostle your body around. The spine is made up of vertebrae that are stacked one on top of the other with spinal discs in between. These spinal discs have a tough outer shell with a soft inside that helps to absorb shock and provide support in between vertebrae. A herniated disc refers to when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes through the tough outer layer and puts pressure on nearby nerves in the spinal column. It is possible to suffer a herniated disc from a minor fender bender, so here is what you need to know.
How a Minor Fender Bender Can Affect You
The force of impact between two vehicles can cause your head and neck to snap forward and backward violently, putting significant pressure on the spine in your neck and upper back. If you were wearing your seat belt properly, that helps prevent you from being ejected from the vehicle, but it can’t keep you from getting injured altogether. If another driver hits your car and causes a fender bender, then you may experience some soreness in your neck and back afterward. In fact, you might think you are walking away unscathed until the adrenaline wears off and you have a chance to better evaluate how you are feeling. Even a minor fender bender can cause injuries that may have delayed symptoms. Headaches, pain, soreness, and other symptoms can take hours or even days to fully appear.
What a Herniated Disc Feels Like
You may have different symptoms depending on where the disc herniation occurs along the spine. If you have a herniated disc in your neck, then you may experience pain, tingling, and numbness that can affect your neck and even your shoulders and arms. You could also suffer a herniated disc in your lower back due to how the force of impact jostled your body around. This could cause a misalignment in your spine at the lower back, as well. A lower back disc herniation may cause pain, tingling, and numbness that radiates through your hip and down into your leg. A herniated disc typically causes tingling and numbness because it can put pressure on nerves along the spinal column that send signals out to your extremities. The pain associated with a disc herniation is sometimes described as shooting or stabbing, like an electric shock, because of how it radiates through to your arms or legs.
Diagnosing a Disc Herniation after a Car Accident
If you suspect you have a herniated disc after a car accident, then you want to visit accident doctors who are highly skilled and specialize in these types of car accident injuries. Your accident doctor may want to run some diagnostic imaging tests to better understand where the herniated disc has occurred. An X-ray can help rule out other potential injuries like a fracture, while a CT scan can show your doctor highly detailed images of your vertebrae and spinal discs that separate them. Your doctor will want to determine the location of the herniated disc and its severity to develop the most appropriate treatment plan for you.
Treating a Disc Herniation after a Car Accident
Treatment for disc herniation is typically a non-invasive, conservative option. A mild to moderate herniated disc may cause some swelling and inflammation around the area, so you may need to rest and avoid certain movements until these symptoms have decreased. Your doctor may also recommend anti-inflammatory medications, applying ice and heat, and gentle massage to help with the initial symptoms. Other treatment techniques may include pelvic traction, muscle stimulation, exercises, and even physical therapy. Learn more about what treatment options will work best for you by visiting The Accident Doctors with convenient locations in Arlington, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Tulsa, Texas.
