Do you feel sore after a car accident? You are definitely not the only one! A car accident puts a lot of stress on your body, and you can experience the aftereffects both physically and mentally. While you might think soreness is common after a car accident, that doesn’t mean you should skip going to the doctor. You always want to talk to your doctor about any car accident soreness you have and get a thorough examination to make sure you don’t have any serious injuries that require immediate treatment. If you avoid going to the doctor and have an injury you don’t know about, you could end up with complications like chronic pain. The sooner you get checked out for any potential car accident injuries, the sooner you can get started on treatment that will bring you lasting relief. Once you visit your Conyers car accident doctor, they may recommend various treatment options, ranging from remedies you can handle at home to therapies to support your rehabilitation and recovery.
How a Car Accident Causes Muscle Pain and Soreness
Car accident pain and sores can occur with or without serious injury. The force of impact from a car accident can jostle you around, causing you to strain against the seat belt and even hit parts of your body against the dashboard or windows. You can’t always control how a car accident shakes you up, but you can keep an eye out for any signs and symptoms of injury afterward. Here are a few examples of how a car accident can lead to muscle pain and soreness in the hours, days, and even weeks after the wreck.
Seat Belt Injury
Seat belts are designed to prevent you from serious injuries, like getting ejected from the vehicle during a crash. However, you can sustain some minor injuries from a seat belt. For example, if you get rear-ended by another vehicle, then your upper body might suddenly jerk forward. This can cause you to strain against the seat belt. If you have any exposed skin underneath the seat belt, then you could end up with scrapes or even burns from the sudden friction. You might also develop bruising where your body strained against the seat belt.
Sprains & Strains
Soft tissue injuries are common in car accidents. Soft tissues refer to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage that support your bones and joints. Whether you brace yourself for impact or never saw the accident coming, your muscles and other soft tissues may tense up and get damaged from the collision. Your shoulders, elbows, and knees are at particular risk for injury because you can end up hitting them against parts of the car. The jolting and jostling of your body with the force of impact can also cause muscles and other soft tissues to stretch outside their typical range of motion, leading to sprains, strains, and even tissue tears.
Whiplash Injury
Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries and can affect your head, neck, shoulders, and back. Whether you were in a rear-end collision or another type of wreck, the force of impact can cause your head and neck to snap forward and back violently. This will cause your neck muscles to stretch and strain out of their typical range of motion, which can cause micro-tears in the tissue. A whiplash injury can also affect the spine in your neck, leading to misalignments of the vertebrae and spinal discs. If you hit your head on the dashboard or other part of the vehicle, then you could also suffer a head injury. A whiplash injury can leave you dealing with muscle pain, soreness, and stiffness in your neck, shoulders, and upper back.
7 Ways to Deal with Muscle Pain and Soreness
So, what do you do when you have muscle pain and soreness after a car accident? Once your car accident doctor has identified the source of your pain, you will know more about what treatment options will provide you with lasting pain relief. Here are seven examples of how to deal with muscle pain, soreness, and other uncomfortable symptoms from a car accident injury.
Rest
One of the best things you can do for your body after a traumatic event like a car accident is to get enough rest. Resting will give your body a chance to reduce the adrenaline pumping through you and initiate the body’s natural healing responses. You might not even realize how much pain or other symptoms you have until you rest and the shock from the accident has a chance to wear off. When you rest, you allow your body to jumpstart the healing process to help manage swelling, inflammation, and other natural responses to a soft tissue injury. However, you don’t want to rest too much and avoid any movement at all. This can actually end up making muscle pain and soreness turn into stiffness, which can actually make your discomfort worse.
Hydration
Just like when you get sick, you want to make sure you stay hydrated after a car accident. The shock and stress from the accident can send your body’s responses into overdrive, and your body needs water and nutrients to function properly. Staying hydrated will allow water to bring oxygen and nutrients to your cells that help fight any injuries or damage inside the body. When you drink lots of water to stay hydrated, your muscles can function better and avoid tightening and cramping. The stress of the car accident and any injuries can make your muscles tense up, but getting enough water can help the healing process and prevent more pain from occurring.
Ice & Heat
Applying ice and heat to an injury also provides a wide range of benefits. A cold compress or ice pack will help reduce any swelling and inflammation in the area by restricting blood vessels and blood flow to the area. You can also use cold temperatures to provide a temporary numbing sensation that will bring about a bit of pain relief. After any swelling has gone down, you can also switch between ice and heat. Apply a warm compress or heating pad to sore, painful muscles to help naturally release tension and tightness. You can also try soaking in a warm bath and even using Epsom salts to help soothe aching muscles after a car accident.
Gentle Activity
You will want to slowly reintroduce gentle movements and activities to help prevent muscle stiffness from developing. While you want to avoid high-impact activities and exercises at first after an injury, you do want to engage your sore muscles in some movement. Avoid movements that make your pain worse, as that could also make your injuries worse. However, light stretching and going for a walk around the block will help promote healthy blood flow and keep your muscles from becoming too tight and tense. Engaging in gentle activity will also help you prevent muscle weakness and losing range of motion after an injury.
Stretching & Yoga
You can try stretching with low-impact activities like yoga to help support strength and mobility as you recover from muscle pain and soreness after a car accident. Stretching your muscles will help promote healthy blood flow and ensure your muscles get the oxygen and nutrients they need to fully heal and recover. Low-impact activities like yoga will incorporate stretches and help support your overall health and wellness while you recover. You can also slowly regain strength and range of motion if an injury has prevented you from engaging in certain movements or activities. Enjoy this gentle workout that keeps your heart and lungs healthy while also providing a relaxing effect for your whole body.
Massage Therapy
Another way to relieve pain and soreness after a car accident is through massage therapy. Whether you visit a massage therapist or work with your doctor on an appropriate referral, massage therapy will target muscles and other tissues impacted by the car accident. General massage, stone massage, and deep tissue massage can all promote healing and reduce tension in your muscles. A stone massage will incorporate the use of hot stones, which also aid in relieving stress and tension in your muscles. A deep tissue massage can help relax tight muscles you can’t always reach on your own, and a massage therapist will have the knowledge and skills to work through knots and help improve healthy blood flow to your muscles.
Physical Therapy
Work with a physical therapist to help you recover from a wide range of car accident injuries. Physical therapy will help you regain strength and mobility after an injury with a hands-on approach to treatment. Your physical therapist may recommend therapeutic massage and soft tissue mobilization to help support your recovery process. Physical therapy will also allow you to take an active role in your recovery by engaging in stretches and exercises that target specific areas of the body. Your physical therapist will walk you through routines and ensure you perform the technique properly so you can safely heal from any injuries. A physical therapist may also talk to you about ways to improve your diet to reduce pain, soreness, and other symptoms while you recover.
How Long Pain and Soreness Last after a Car Accident
Every person’s experience of recovering from a car accident will be different. Many people are surprised to realize how pain and other symptoms don’t always set in immediately after the accident. In fact, car accident injuries can have what are known as delayed symptoms, where it takes hours or even days for you to start feeling pain, soreness, and other signs of an injury. The length of time you deal with pain and soreness can shorten if you get treatment right away for any injuries. If you try to push through the pain and wait it out at home, you risk dealing with other uncomfortable symptoms from an untreated injury. A combination of prompt medical attention and appropriate treatment can help reduce your pain and discomfort after a car accident. As you go through treatment, you should always talk to your doctor if you notice any changes or worsening pain. The bottom line for muscle pain and soreness after a car accident: Don’t wait! Get help right away for any type of pain or soreness after a car accident injury. Muscle pain and other symptoms can impact your regular routines and activities and can get worse with time if left untreated.
How a Car Accident Doctor Can Help
Visit your car accident doctor in Conyers for comprehensive treatment and care after you’ve been in a wreck. A car accident doctor will complete a thorough physical examination to check you for injuries. They may also request diagnostic imaging tools like an X-ray or CT scan to get a better look at a damaged area, like bones, joints, or muscles. The pictures from diagnostic imaging tools can help your doctor locate the source of your pain and also rule out other potential injuries or issues. Once they have determined the source of your pain, you can get started on a personalized treatment plan to help you recover. Your Conyers car accident doctor will create a treatment plan based on your specific diagnosis and needs for treatment so you can experience lasting pain relief. Your treatment plan may include a combination of home remedies, physical therapy, and other in-office procedures to help you fully recover.
Visit AICA Orthopedics in Conyers to learn more about our team of car accident doctors and how we can help you recover from any muscle pain and soreness. We treat a wide range of car accident injuries and have on-site diagnostic imaging tools so you can meet with your doctors and get the care you need all in one convenient location. At AICA Orthopedics in Conyers, our orthopedic doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists specialize in car accident injuries and work together to help you.