Did you know that over 3 million American’s suffer a neck injury every year?
The most common cause of neck injuries is car crashes, but there are many ways you can injury your neck. Most people don’t realize that their neck injury symptoms don’t only manifest as neck pain.
Several seemingly unrelated symptoms could indicate a long-term neck injury. By learning these symptoms, you can be more informed and choose the best treatment options.
If you think you may have a neck injury, read on to find out more. You may also ask, can neck problems cause dizziness? Iron-Neck has the answer for that.
1. Neck Pain and Reduced Mobility
The main thing you’ll notice with a neck injury is pain and difficulty moving your neck. This may be similar to how it feels after sleeping in an awkward position, or it may be a severe ache.
You can try some gentle stretches to alleviate stiffness at home, but don’t do anything that could strain your neck muscles. It’s best to see a chiropractor after car accident injuries to check your neck alignment is still correct.
2. Headaches
Next, you may notice recurrent headaches. Specifically, these are called cervicogenic headaches, caused by a pinched nerve in the neck.
This is very prevalent in common car accident injuries such as whiplash.
Try taking painkillers and using hot compresses on the painful area to reduce your headache. Additionally, avoid bright lights and screens.
3. Muscle Spasms
After a neck injury, you can notice suddenly muscle spasms in your neck. This can happen as a response to injury and from overuse or weakness.
While muscle spasms are expected after a severe neck injury, you should still tell your health practitioner. They may prescribe a muscle relaxant to help prevent any further damage from occurring due to the spasms.
4. Weakness in Limbs and Extremities
Pressure on the spinal column or nerves can cause weakness or numbness in your arms, legs, fingers, and toes. Excess stress can interfere with both blood flow and nerve signals.
Usually, after a neck injury, any numbness or weakness will resolve on its own after a few weeks. However, it can be a symptom of something worse, such as a slipped vertebrae, herniated disk, arthritis, or spinal stenosis. So, make sure you don’t ignore this symptom.
You can try gentle stretches or yoga to reduce the effects of a pinched nerve, and make sure to get outside for daily exercise to promote good blood flow.
However, if you’re experiencing ongoing numbness or weakness, it’s vital that you get a complete physical check-up to rule out any other health problems.
Common Neck Injury Symptoms Identified
These common neck injury symptoms indicate that you may need some further treatment. Fortunately, a range of healthcare professionals specialize in neck injury, whiplash treatment, and treating car accident injuries.
There’s no point ignoring your symptoms, why not see a professional? Don’t delay – get booked in for treatment, and you can be pain-free before you know it.
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