Spinal injuries stemming from car accidents

On Behalf of | Aug 31, 2022 | Car Accident Injuries |

Residents of West Virginia never expect a car accident to happen to them. However, if it does, they might be left with a spinal injury. These injuries are catastrophic and potentially life-threatening.

Types of spinal injuries common after car accidents

A serious car accident can result in trauma affecting different parts of the spinal cord, which can be life-changing. Although there are many causes of spinal injuries, around 40% are caused by car accidents. The injury could affect one of three parts of the spine: the cervical spine in the upper back and neck region, the thoracic spine, which is located in the middle of your back and the lumbar spine or lower back area.

Injuries affecting the cervical spine are particularly serious because they are more likely to result in paralysis from the neck down. During a car accident, the impact does not necessarily have to be violent to sustain a spinal cord injury. Factors that can determine how the accident affects you include your age, weight, gender, prior spinal trauma, the position of your head and how you were positioned in the seat.

Symptoms of spinal injuries

After being involved in a car accident, you should seek immediate medical attention. Even if you don’t initially feel pain, it could come later as your body might be working overtime on adrenaline.

Certain symptoms are common with spinal injuries. Numbness, muscle weakness or spasms, tingling sensations and loss of motion in the limbs are serious side effects of a spinal injury. They also signify that the trauma you have experienced might be more serious than you think.

It’s an urgent medical situation if you experience other symptoms like loss of bladder or bowel control, pain in your spine, loss of sensation and breathing problems.