Auto Injuries
Common Injuries and Symptoms
Motor vehicle accidents can result in a number of very diverse and complex injuries and symptoms. This is due to the diversity of factors involved with the each MVA—i.e., vectors of the collision, size of the vehicles involved in collision, preexisting health conditions of victims, age of victims, size and strength of victims, etc.
The following list comprises many of the most commonly sustained injuries and symptoms following MVAs:
Whiplash
The term "whiplash" was coined by Dr. Harold Crowe back in 1928. It is used to refer to:
- the hyperextension/hyperflexion injury of the neck, and
- the resulting symptoms of this injury - sustained from a motor vehicle accident.
This forwards-flexion and/or backwards-extension of the neck essentially results in a soft tissue sprain/strain injury to the structures within the cervical and upper thoracic spinal regions. When the initial impact occurs and the head is forced in either excessive flexion or excessive extension, protective reflexes cause the muscles of the neck to forcefully contract which "whips" the head back in the opposite direction. The resulting injury often leads to numerous symptoms, many of which are confusing and poorly understood.
Symptoms following a "whiplash" accident include:
- neck pain, tenderness, achiness and stiffness
- cervical muscle spasms
- tenderness and nodules in superficial cervical musculature
- cervical reduced range of motion
- post-traumatic headaches (including migraine and muscle-tension headaches)
- shoulder and interscapular pain
- hand and finger pain, numbness and tingling
- blurred vision
- difficulty swallowing/feeling of lump in throat
- dizziness and balance problems
- lightheadedness
- post-traumatic depression and cognitive problems
Headaches
Headaches are the second most common complaint following motor vehicle accidents (MVA's). Like the many other MVA symptoms, headache may not be present immediately following the accident and may take several weeks and often months to eventually surface.
Most post-traumatic headaches are thought to originate from the soft tissues and facet joints of the neck as well as injury or irritation to the nerves of the upper cervical spine.
The literature has shown there to be multiple types of headaches which can be experienced following a MVA. These include the following:
- Cervicogenic Headaches
- Muscle Tension Headaches
- Migraine Headaches
- Myofascial Trigger Point Headaches
- Site-Of-Impact Headaches
- Drug-Induced Headaches (following excessive or prolonged analgesic use)
Back Pain
In addition to whiplash/neck injuries, the mid and lower back are also frequently injured in motor vehicle accidents (MVA's).
The Mid Back
The mid back or thoracic spine is most commonly injured as a result of the asymmetry of most seat belt designs. As the torso moves forward the seat belt locks and the torso is forced to stop at the end of the shoulder strap. Because the shoulder strap crosses only one shoulder (usually the left), the side without a strap (usually right) is able to travel forward further which results in a forward flexing and twisting injury to the mid back.
The Lower Back
The lumbar spine is also frequently injured, but the mechanism differs from the above. As the torso and pelvis move forward the pelvis is stopped by the lap belt. However, the torso continues to move forward which producing a shearing force in the lumbar spine. These injuries often result in lumbar disc injuries.
Extremity Pain, Numbness, and Tingling
Extremity symptoms such as arm and hand pain, numbness and tingling are common following motor vehicle accidents (MVA's). They are caused by thoracic outlet syndrome, myofascial adhesions, muscular trigger points, and spinal disc lesions.
It's important to note that these symptoms are commonly not experienced until weeks or even months after the injury. A study, published in the Britain Journal of Rheumatology, involved 37 motor vehicle injury patients and found 35% had an onset of arm and hand symptoms (upper extremity symptoms) beyond 3 months of the accident.
This reinforces the need for proper and full treatment of MVA injuries. Failure to receive appropriate treatment (where injured tissues are fully healed and tissue functioning is adequately restored) is a major contributor to the development of these symptoms.