If you are in a car crash, chances are you may feel some sort of pain afterwards.
The signs of a whiplash injury in particular can be difficult to spot, but can lead to serious health issues if not taken care of properly.
Definition
According to FindLaw, car accidents that involve any quick and unnatural motion in your neck, back, or body can lead to health problems. This is especially prevalent if you are sitting in the backseat and originally refused medical treatment or believed you had no injuries. Many symptoms increase as time goes on, since the adrenaline you feel right after a crash may mask them until they become obvious.
Early signs
Whiplash injuries do not only occur at high speeds. Even in less intense accidents, you may feel signs of back pain or headaches. Struggles with short term memories and staying focused on tasks may also be a sign of head trauma. Seeking medical help is important if these issues increase.
The difficulty in sensing these issues comes from the lack of visible signs. Many whiplash problems are internal and hard to spot from a physical check. You may also assume you were not severely hurt at all if you were not the one driving the car, and this assumption can lead to leaving your injuries untreated.
Solutions
Treatments include visiting specialists for back pain or other neurological issues. Physical therapy may also improve your symptoms. Although there are many minor cases of whiplash injuries, severe ones can lead to long-lasting motion issues that could leave you in chronic pain.