If you have suffered a neck injury such as whiplash after being involved in an accident, it is important to take good care of your neck and any other painful areas so that you can recover your mobility as quickly as possible. Left untreated, the pain can linger, and sometimes turn into a chronic pain or area of limited mobility.
When you are dealing with a neck injury after a car crash, it is quite common that the symptoms of a neck injury or other soft tissue damage do not onset right away. Sometimes, you won’t think anything is wrong or feel any pain for hours, or even days after the crash occurred. If this is what has happened with you, know that it is normal and do not question yourself or think you are making up the pain. It is quite likely that the pain is linked to the accident.
Your auto insurance will cover the cost of medical treatment, and it is important that you do seek the treatment of a doctor immediately. Even a minor bruise felt on the neck can lead to more serious problems if untreated, such as pinched nerves, nerve damage, damage to blood vessels, spine fractures, or joint problems that can plague you for years afterward if not treated. A chiropractor, osteopath, or regular medical doctor can determine the extent of the neck injury and then provide you with a protocol to recover.
The most common goal of treatment is to relieve the pain, regain mobility, and strengthen weakened or stretched neck muscles and upper back and shoulder muscles so that the potential for chronic, long-term pain and problems in these areas of the body is minimized.
Some common ways of treating neck injuries include:
- Heating or icing the area or both. Use heating pads, hot water bottles, or single-use heat wraps placed on the painful area every two to three hours for about 15 – 20 minutes. For icing, you can purchase cold packs or uses a frozen bag of peas wrapped in a cloth and apply it to the painful, swollen area for 10-15 minutes every two to three hours. However, increasingly, sports medicine specialists are finding that icing an injury may not help.
- Anti-inflammatories. Many people take anti-inflammatory over the counter medicines to deal with the pain symptoms.
- Limit your neck activities so that you do not overstrain it, as it is now vulnerable. Be careful how you are sitting and even baby your neck while sleeping.
- Massage the painful area to relieve the pain.
- Chiropractic treatment. Chiropractors are trained as experts in diagnosing and treating people dealing with neck injuries and back pain.
- Do simple exercises and physical therapy to help your neck return to its normal strength, but don’t over do it!
If you are dealing with an insurer that is questioning your need for medical attention, you might consider discussing your situation with an experienced personal injury attorney. Attorney Kenneth A Pryor has extensive experience fighting for the rights of the injured.
Contact The Pryor Law Firm
The Pryor Law Firm maintains offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Nassau County. We handle personal injury cases exclusively on a contingency fee basis (meaning you pay no fee unless we recover compensation for you), and we can visit you or your loved one at home or at a hospital if travel is too difficult. To contact us for confidential advice following a serious injury or fatal accident, submit our online contact form or call (855) 889-5311.
Firm founder Kenneth A. Pryor is a member of the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Mr. Pryor is an experienced trial lawyer who teaches trial skills as an adjunct law school professor. Our firm can provide the knowledgeable and experienced legal representation you need.
+Disclaimer: The above case results are samples of some of the verdicts and settlements that were obtained through the efforts of Kenneth A. Pryor during his career as lead counsel or co-counsel and the results were dependent on the specific facts of each individual case. Prior results are no guarantee of a similar outcome or future success. Each case is unique and the final outcome of negotiations or trial is never guaranteed. In some cases, the verdicts may have been reduced by a court or settled by the parties for a lesser amount.