How common are car crashes and what can we do?
Are you experiencing pain after a car accident? Car accidents are a very common occurrence. According to the Alberta Collision Traffic Collision Summary, there were over 100, 000 collisions on Alberta roads in 2021 alone! Soreness, stiffness and pain after a collision is very common, and can present in various different ways. Symptoms after a car crash can present immediately after an accident or you might experience delayed pain after an accident. Not everybody will experience the same symptoms or timeline of healing for their pain. Here at REP Physio in Edmonton, we have a wealth of experience in treating people who are experiencing pain after a motor vehicle accident and would love to help you improve your symptoms so you can return to doing the things you love.
Why is my body stiff after a car accident? Common car accident injuries
Pain is very complex, and how people perceive pain even with the same type of injury may not always be the same. There are many different injuries that one can sustain after a car accident. Both soft tissue and bone can be injured in a car accident. In this section, we will discuss some of the more common injuries.
1) Whiplash injury: Neck and upper back pain after a car crash is pretty common. A whiplash injury is when the neck goes through a rapid change in direction, usually a forceful flexion action (bending forward) into a quick forced extension (bending backwards). This is one of the most common causes of muscle pain, muscle spasms and muscle aches in the neck region after a motor vehicle accident. This often happens after someone experiences a rear-end collision. This type of injury can put a lot of stress onto the muscles and surrounding soft tissue structures of the neck. The most common whiplash symptoms are neck pain with or without movement, loss of neck range of motion, dizziness and altered sensation down the shoulder and arm.
2) Back Injury: Upper and lower back pain after a car accident are also a common injury that can happen after a car crash. The same mechanisms that can put a lot of stress in your neck can also impact your back. There are a wide range of injuries you can sustain in your back. It can range from a back strain, to a herniated disc in your back to a fracture. Symptoms for lower back pain may vary. It can present as a dull ache, or a sharp shooting pain, it may feel sore only in your back or feel like it travels down your back; you might even feel abdominal pain along with your back pain.
3) Head Injury: These usually come hand in hand with a neck/whiplash injury as the the head can often sustain impact either in the front or the back during an accident. The most common head injury is a concussion. Symptoms of a concussion can include: headaches, balance problems, confusion, neck pain, double vision, light and sound sensitivity. Concussions can be tricky to deal with and people sometimes deal with symptoms for a long time. Proper management can help to reduce the severity and length of these symptoms so that they don't become more chronic in nature. In more severe cases of head injuries, a traumatic brain injury can occur, symptoms are similar to concussions just significantly increased in magnitude and may include loss of consciousness. If you are experiencing any symptoms that suggests a brain injury, it is important to seek medical attention.
These are not the only injuries that can occur after an accident. Other possible injuries include but are not limited to knee injuries, fractures, and ligament sprains in both the upper and lower body.
What could cause delayed muscle pain after a car accident?
Car crashes are stressful. The psychological stress and trauma of a car accident can cause the release of shock-induced endorphins (our body's natural painkiller) which can numb or even mask some of the pain we experience after a car accident. Usually in the cases where one experiences delayed pain, the symptoms after a car accident might not manifest for 1-2 days, but can sometimes take days to weeks before you start feeling the affects of the injuries from a car accident. This delayed pain can sometimes make it difficult for people to attribute the pain they are experiencing to a car crash, but it is important to understand that an auto accident can affect people in very different ways. How pain manifests can be very different between individuals and it is important to seek out a healthcare professional if you are unable to manage these symptoms on your own.
How long should you be sore after an accident?
How someone recovers from pain caused by a car accident can be very variable. As we have mentioned, pain is very complex and there is not always one solution for pain symptoms after an automobile accident. Unfortunately, because of this, it is difficult to provide a definitive answer on how long it will take for you to recover. Here, we will provide some general tissue healing timelines for two common soft tissues injuries.
1) Muscle strain: A muscle strain is one of the most common soft tissue injuries that can happen after an accident. A muscle strain is also known as a pulled muscle and happens when the tissue is stretched beyond its normal capabilities and a tear in the muscle occurs. There are generally 3 levels of injuries for a muscle strain and they have different healing timelines depending on the severity of the injury.
- Grade 1: A grade 1 muscle strain is when the tissue is stretched beyond its normal capabilities, and it there may be a few torn fibres. Symptoms are generally pain and tenderness of the area but strength is usually unaffected. Generally, these heal within 2-4 weeks.
- Grade 2: A grade 2 muscle strain is when there is a more significant tear in the muscle with more fibres involved. Symptoms are pain, swelling/bruising, and decreased strength in the muscle affected. These take longer to heal, and generally can take up to 2-3 months to recover from.
- Grade 3: A grade 3 muscle strain is a full rupture of the muscle. Symptoms are severe pain, swelling, tenderness and a complete loss of function of the muscle. These require surgical intervention to repair and the healing timeline is variable due to this, but will generally require upwards of 6 to 9 months to fully heal.
2) Ligament sprain: A ligament sprain is when the connective tissue that connects two bones together in your joints is stretched or torn. Similar to a muscle strain, there are generally 3 levels of injuries depending on the severity.
- Grade 1: A grade 1 ligament sprain is where the tissue is stretched, but none or few very fibres are torn. These present with pain, mild tenderness and swelling. The joint will still feel stable. Generally, these take 1 or 2 weeks to heal.
- Grade 2: A grade 2 ligament sprain is where there is a more significant tear in the tissue. It will present with more significant pain, swelling and tenderness. There will be an increased feeling of joint instability. Generally, these take up to 4-6 weeks to heal.
- Grade 3: A grade 3 ligament sprain is a full tear through the tissue. Similar to a grade 2 sprain, there will be significant pain, swelling and tenderness. In weightbearing joints such as the ankle, a full ligament tear may mean weightbearing is very difficult or not possible. Healing timelines are somewhat more variable but can take longer than 3 months to fully recover from. Depending on the ligament, surgery may or may not be required and this changes the healing timeline, but without surgery, there will likely be permanent joint instability where the ligament was torn.
As you can see in these different timelines, Healing timelines can be very variable depending on the tissue injured and the severity of the injury. Left untreated, sometimes pain persists longer than it should as it can be accidentally aggravated if you do not know how long they should take to heal and the management strategies you should employ. At REP Physio, we can help guide you through your injury and help provide you a more specific healing timeline that matches what you are experiencing.
What the best ways to avoid long-term MVA injury pain?
Following an accident, the most important way to avoid long-term and chronic pain post-car accident is to live an active lifestyle. Exercise is crucial in helping to maintain and improve mobility, strength and function. Exercise is also a very powerful pain modulator and is the best way to sustain long term pain relief after an accident. How does physiotherapy fit into this?
An assessment from a physiotherapist can be very helpful in determining what the source of your pain from an injury after a car accident is. Through the assessment, we are able to get a better idea of how you are moving, including what movements are causing pain as well as find any sort of strength or range of motion deficits that might need addressing to help with your pain. What you can expect from a physiotherapist here at REP Physio is a strong emphasis on patient education. Providing you with information on what issues you are dealing with as well as empowering you with information on how to address these issues is one of our primary goals. In regards to exercise, physiotherapists will be able to assist you in creating a treatment plan that includes appropriate exercises depending on what your condition and your healing timeline. Pain modulators like manual therapy and dry needling are also used to help manage your symptoms. Through a comprehensive assessment and tailored treatment program, we hope that we will be able to improve your function, reduce your pain and recovery time after your car accident. We invite you to come for an assessment at REP Physio if you are experiencing pain after a car accident. At REP Physio, we have over 75 years of combined clinical experience in treating motor vehicle accidents. With this wealth of experience, it allows us to create an evidence based, active, individualized treatment towards your recovery.
