When you’re in an auto accident, whether it’s a devastating collision or a small fender bender, it’s important that your first course of action after the event is to see your physician or a local physiotherapist, even if you feel fine. The reason for this is simple: you could be experiencing whiplash.
Most people associate whiplash with something that’s completely debilitating: you can’t turn your head or move your neck at all without immense pain and suffering. And while these symptoms are indicative of whiplash at severe levels, you might also have symptoms that don’t match this description, which can occur at lower levels. The fact of the matter is that whiplash is the most prevalent injury when it comes to auto accidents and far too many people walk away from a crash suffering from whiplash, without being evaluated for it.
It goes a little something like this: you get into a fender bender at a stop sign, barely moving at all. Both drivers get out to inspect their vehicles, exchange information and drive away. The whole thing is over in about 30 minutes and it’s something that you’ll put behind you after the day is over. What you might not realize however, is that when your neck starts to ache later in the week, it’s actually a delayed symptom of whiplash that you’re dealing with.
There’s often a disconnect when it comes to whiplash—unless people are in pain right after an accident, they tend not to seek motor vehicle accident rehabilitation in Brampton. But the full gamut of pain that whiplash and other auto accident injuries produce aren’t always immediate: they can take days or even weeks to surface and by that time, people tend not to associate them with an accident.
This is why it’s so important to have yourself evaluated for whiplash right after an accident, even if you don’t have symptoms. Because the injury is one that affects your spinal cord and skull, it’s one that’s exceptionally dangerous to leave untreated. The lasting effects of untreated whiplash could vary from chronic pain and discomfort, to permanent muscle damage and spinal disorders—things that no one wants to live with for the rest of their lives.
Seeking the help of a medical professional and enrolling yourself in motor vehicle accident rehabilitation in Brampton for whiplash can stem the tide of lasting problems that are sure to develop in just a short period of time, allowing you to address the injury in a proactive way. In fact, if caught early enough and treated appropriately, many people suffering from whiplash can alleviate the condition before the symptoms even begin to take a toll on their quality of life!
As is the case with all injuries, the severity of whiplash can vary greatly based on the individual and the circumstances of the accident. Even if your airbags don’t deploy and even if you feel fine after taking a hit in your automobile, the importance of seeking a professional evaluation for whiplash cannot be understated.