Numbness and Tingling in Shoulder, Arms, or Legs After a Car Accident
Nerve Damage After a Car Accident
Nerve damage can occur after a car accident and cause serious debilitating effects and even cause you to be unable to work. Nerves are essential parts of the human body and carry out important functions that allow us to live normal, healthy lives.
Nerves are sensitive tissues are easily susceptible to damage and interference in their transmission of signals.
Types of Nerve Damage After a Car Accident
There are many different types of nerve damage that can occur when you are involved in an auto accident, and each one has a different set of symptoms and treatments.
The three ways nerves are usually damaged are by pressure, stretching or cutting of the nerve itself.
The most common ways your nerves can be damaged in a car accident include:
- Flexion Extension Injury (Whiplash) – the severe jerking motion of the head and neck can cause the nerves in this area to stretch, be pinched, or have extra pressure from local swelling around the spine
- Blunt-force trauma – hitting your head, arms or legs on a hard surface inside or outside of the vehicle can compress nerves
- Lacerations – deep cuts to the skin sustained during an auto accident can sever the nerves in the affected area.
Symptoms of Nerve damage After a Car accident
You will know if your nerves are damaged when you feel or experience certain signs and symptoms such as the following:
- full or partial paralysis of limbs and appendages such as fingers and toes
- muscle weakness or pain
- twitching or uncontrolled movements of the muscles
- a prickling sensation
- tingling or numbness on the skin or in your shoulders, back, arms, hands, legs or feet
- increased sensitivity on the skin to hot and cold temperature
The effects of nerve damage can take a long time to heal. The speed at which you will recover depends on the treatments used by your doctor, severity of your injury, ability to finish your treatment plan, and your current physical state.
Treatment options for Numbness and Tingling after a Car Accident
As long as the injury to your nerves are not severe enough to warrant surgery (for example, if your nerve is severed), then you are a candidate for treatment at Art of Health Chiropractic.
Chiropractic Care - this will help to restore proper joint function in the spine and increase your range of motion. By allowing the vertebrae in your spine to move properly, nerve irritation from stretching or pinching can be reduced. Many patients note a progressive relief of symptoms within the first week or two.
Advanced Deep Tissue Laser Therapy - laser therapy is beneficial when the nerve is damaged from stretching or from being pinched by muscles or swelling around the spine. Laser therapy works to quickly heal the damaged tissues and reduce swelling and inflammation around the nerve - which is what is causing your numbness or tingling.
Therapeutic Exercises - proper exercises are an important part of the treatment plan. By slowly reinforcing the correct movements of the joint, exercises help to reinforce the chiropractic adjustments performed by your doctor. Once normal function is restored, strengthening and endurance exercises will be added to keep the problem from returning.
Dr. Michael Buczynski at Art of Health Chiropractic in Nashville, TN has treated over 1100 auto accident patients over the past two years. He has worked with patients exhibiting symptoms such as whiplash, headaches, wrist and shoulder sprains, disk bulges, hip and knee pain, numbness, tingling, back pain, and more.
Call the office at (615)953-7544 to schedule your appointment today.
