Neck Injury FAQs
Most individuals will have a minor neck problem at one time or another. Our bodies develop everyday wear and tear, overuse, or injury just from waking up and going about our daily lives. However, when an accident happens, this process is rapidly sped up. Neck injuries are common during sports or recreational activities, work-related tasks, and car accidents.
Table of Contents
What is a neck injury?
A neck injury is damage to the structure of the neck including soft tissue, bones, spinal column and nerves.
What are the different types of a neck injury?
There a few different types of neck injuries that can cause a wide variety of pain to the victim.
-
Broken Neck Injury
A broken neck is manifested by pain after a trauma, loss of sensation or inability to move the limbs and serious breathing difficulty.
-
Slipped Disc in Neck
This injury is considered the most common cause of neck pain. Symptoms associated with this type of injury include: severe neck pain, pain in the neck, shoulder and arm and weakness or loss of sensation in the arms or hands.
-
Stiff Neck
This injury is commonly experienced after a night’s rest wherein the person had poorly positioned the neck or used the wrong pillow.
Whiplash is often due to the trauma of a car accident, although it may occur as a sports injury in some people.
What is the treatment for neck injuries?
Depending on the severity and type of injury that was sustained, the treatment and recovery of the injury will vary. However, most neck injuries will have a few of the same therapy treatments to remedy the pain with the hopes of regaining full movement to the neck and muscles affected by the injury. These could include:
- Physical Therapy
- Manipulative Therapy (Chiropractic or Otheopathic)
- Medicine
- In some cases, surgery
Treatment can also depend on a few other factors such as,
- Age
- Health condition
- Activities (work, sports, or hobbies)
How long do neck injuries take to heal?
Depending on the type of neck injury and the damage that was done to the tissues and muscle during the injury would determine the length of the healing process. Most mild or moderate neck injuries (stiff neck and whiplash) will take a few days to a few weeks to heal. For a more severe neck injury (broken neck and slipped disc), depending on the treatment administered, could take months and some symptoms lasting years after the accident.
Can neck injuries be avoided?
Avoiding neck injuries can be a very difficult thing to do since most neck injuries happen during unforeseen events. Driving careful to avoid accidents can help prevent most injuries in general. In addition, checking your head rest for the proper position could help avoid neck injuries during a car accident. Wearing your seat-belt or other proper restraints will also reduce the risk of a neck injury during an accident. They should be positioned high enough that the head rest is directly behind your head. Another way to avoid neck injuries it to avoid high-contact sports and other such activities where a neck injury has a higher possibility of occurring.
What should I if I still have questions regarding neck injuries?
Seeking medical attention for individual evaluation of your neck injury would be the best idea. However, if your questions revolve more around what should you do if your injury was caused by someone else’s negligence, contact Christensen & Hymas for a free confidential consultation by calling (801) 506-0800 to have our professional attorneys help answer your questions.
Image “Cervical vertebrae lateral” copyright by Anatomography.
Free Consultation
Learn your Rights. Get Answers. Free.