Each year, an estimated 1.3 million people die in car accidents around the world, and up to 50 million people will experience injuries as a result of car accidents. While some have minor injuries that eventually heal, others experience chronic pain that affects their daily lives. If you’ve been in a car accident, the injuries may not be immediately apparent—some take time to manifest, from days to even months after the accident.
Car accident-related injuries are some of the most common injuries that lead to chronic pain. Fortunately, the Atlanta pain management specialists at Summit Spine & Joint Centers are here to help. Here are some of the most common types of injuries we see in people who have been in a car accident, and more about how we can help.
Common Types of Injuries From Car Accidents
Car accident injuries can be classified by two different types: impact injuries, in which your body comes into contact with the car, and penetrating injuries, such as a gash from shattered glass. Both impact and penetrating injuries can result in:
- Soft issue injuries, which can damage muscles and connective tissue.
- Whiplash, which affects the connective tissue in the neck and upper back area.
- Back pain, such as from a herniated disc or from pulled or sprained muscles in the back.
- Head injuries, including concussions or even brain damage.
- Internal injuries, such as broken ribs or bruising.
Any of these injuries—especially injuries to the head, neck or back—have the potential to cause chronic pain. Pain is considered chronic when it lasts at least three months but it can last six months or much longer, depending on the nature of your injury.
Help for People Who Experience Chronic Pain as the Result of a Car Accident
How your pain is treated depends on the unique nature of your injury. For some, conservative therapies such as medication and physical therapy will reduce the pain and eventually help it go away over a period of time. For others, these therapies may not make much difference.
Fortunately, with our Atlanta pain management specialists, you have options. We offer innovative, minimally invasive approaches to manage your chronic pain. Options will vary from patient to patient, but we offer:
- Steroid injections for the back and neck to help target the source of your pain.
- Intrathecal pump implant devices, which deliver pain medication directly to your injury so you don’t experience the side effects of these medications.
- Nerve blocks to stop nerves from constantly signaling pain to the brain.
- Regenerative medicine, including platelet rich plasma and stem cell therapy to induce new healing for injuries that may have never healed properly or have not responded to other therapies.
- Spinal cord stimulation to eliminate pain signals so you can live life without pain.
No matter what type of injury you’ve experienced in a car accident, pain management can help reduce your pain and restore your quality of life.
How Can Our Pain Management Specialists Help You?
Car accidents often result in devastating injuries that leave you suffering with long-term pain, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Contact Summit Spine & Joint Centers to schedule an appointment with one of our compassionate physicians to learn more about how we can help you reduce pain and get your life back. Call us at (770) 962-3642 or submit an online appointment request today!