Car and truck accidents remain an all too common cause of traumatic injury. Overwhelmingly they result in injuries to the neck and back. In our experience we have seen that even minor collisions, especially head on or rear end collisions can result in injury to the neck and back. Additionally, it is typical for those involved in a car accident to not feel pain immediately after the accident. There are many instances that we have seen where individuals did not treat until a few days after the accident because they did not experience any pain initially.

Dr. Michael Freeman and others conducted a case-control study of the relationship between acute whiplash injuries and chronic neck pain. The study revealed to researchers that the foremost cause of chronic neck pain was prior motor vehicle accident injuries: “it reasonable to infer that a significant proportion of individuals with chronic neck pain in the general population were originally injured in a motor vehicle accident. See Chronic neck pain and whiplash: A case-control study of the relationship between acute whiplash injuries and chronic neck pain, Michael D Freeman, Arthur C Croft, Annette M Rossignol, Christopher J Centeno, Whitney L Elkins, Pain Res Manag. 2006 Summer; 11(2): 79–83. doi: 10.1155/2006/304673.

Additionally “the study findings suggest that injuries resulting from MVAs contribute significantly to the population of individuals with chronic spine pain in the United States. Furthermore, individuals with chronic pain in the neck, and neck and back, are more likely to have acquired their pain as a result of an MVA, in comparison with individuals with chronic back pain alone.” Id.

The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of proper treatment for injuries resulting from car and/or truck accidents.

MATTHEW J. PERRY

Partner

If you find this content valuable, please share with colleagues and friends on your favorite channel below: