Even if you walk away from an auto accident, it’s still important to see a doctor as soon as possible. You might be focused on dealing with insurance and car repairs in the aftermath, but your body needs a checkup, too. Many injuries take time to show up, and if you wait, it’s harder to get the right care and retribution for your case.
Dr. Michael Esposito, our physician at Interventional Spine & Pain Institute in Vero Beach, Florida, sees patients with motor vehicle injuries, like back pain, whiplash, or other bodily concerns. Here’s why he says you shouldn’t delay seeing a doctor for needed medical care, regardless of how mild your accident seems.
Right after an auto accident, the excitement and stress of the episode kicks in and your body’s adrenaline protects you from symptoms of injury. It can take several hours or days for you to calm down and for your body to relax enough to send you signals of injury.
When you seek medical help soon after your accident, your doctor can identify and start treatment on any injuries right away. Early intervention can help you avoid a worsening condition or compensatory problems.
More than 2 million Americans sustain whiplash every year. The vast majority of these cases happen due to auto accidents. Whiplash results when your neck moves front to back or side to side suddenly, spraining the cervical ligaments.
Whiplash doesn’t have to show up as neck pain. You might have symptoms such as tingling in your shoulders, headaches, or ringing in your ears — and these can develop several days or weeks after the accident.
Brain injuries can happen if you strike your head on the steering wheel or dashboard. Traumatic head injuries are serious and don’t always show outward symptoms. It’s important to get checked out promptly to see if you have a concussion or skull fracture.
Your spine is also vulnerable to injury in a car crash. Vertebrae can be pushed out of alignment, causing nerve pain that shows up in your shoulders or legs some time after the incident.
Abdominal injuries result during a car crash when the seat belt presses against your organs. This causes internal bleeding, which may not be readily evident. You may sustain damage to your kidneys, heart, or lungs.
If your knee strikes the dashboard, you may experience a sprain or worse. In the heat of the accident, you might not even realize you sustained the injury and it only shows up later when you walk around or exercise.
Your body works hard to mask these injuries so you can keep functioning, but eventually they catch up to you. Early evaluation and treatment helps you avoid unnecessary pain and get prompt care.
If you’re in an automobile accident in which the other driver was at fault, prompt medical care helps you get the insurance benefits you’re due. If you delay treatment, the insurance company could question whether you had another cause of your injuries in the time between the accident and your eventual visit to the doctor.
Prompt care means seamless reporting for insurance purposes and a better chance that you’ll be compensated for your medical bills.
If you’ve been in an automobile accident, don’t delay; contact Interventional Spine & Pain Institute today. Call the office or request an appointment online.
