Nerve Damage from a Car Accident

Nerve Damage from a Car Accident

Car accidents can cause debilitating injuries that leave you bedridden for weeks on end. While we often associate car accidents with broken bones or scrapes and bruises, sometimes the worst injuries are the ones we can’t even see. Many car accident victims suffer from nerve damage resulting from the crash.

How Can a Car Accident Cause Nerve Damage?

It’s easy to associate serious injuries, such as broken bones or head trauma, with car accidents. However, nerve damage is another common injury that you can get following a crash.

Nerve damage occurs when pressure is added to a nerve. This can be caused by inflammation, compression, or other internal injuries. This form of internal injury can be difficult to detect at first glance.

There are multiple causes for nerve damage following a car accident; nerve damage can even be the result of another serious injury, such as whiplash or a herniated disc. However, you can still suffer from nerve damage even without an accompanying injury.

Signs and Symptoms of Nerve Damage from Car Accident

Since it isn’t always possible to detect nerve damage externally, it’s important that you understand the signs of nerve damage. The most common symptoms of nerve damage include, but are not limited to:

• Tingling or prickling sensations
• Numbness
• Shooting or radiating pains
• Muscle weakness
• Muscle spasms
• Burning sensations
• Heightened sensitivity

Nerve damage takes place most often around the spine, though it is also common on the arms and torso. If you experience any of the above symptoms, you should talk with your doctor right away. Untreated nerve damage can lead to more serious injuries over time, so don’t hesitate.

How to Reduce Pain from Nerve Damage

Now that you have a better understanding of the causes and symptoms of nerve damage, it’s time to discuss what you can do about your pain. If you suffer from nerve damage, here are some techniques that you can use to relieve pain.

Regular Aerobic Exercises

Endorphins are a great source of natural pain relief, and one of the fastest ways to produce them is with aerobic exercises. These types of exercise involve moving large muscle groups and deep breaths, which increases blood flow and causes the brain to release endorphins.

Ideally, you should be exercising for at least 30 minutes three days a week to see substantial pain relief. If you are new to exercising, you may want to start at 10 minutes a day until you are more used to it. A few aerobic exercises that you can do include, but are not limited to:

• Swimming
• Bicycling
• Running or brisk walking
• Skating

Be sure to keep a regular schedule with your exercises and talk with your doctor about which exercises would work best for you.

Stretching or Yoga

Stretching is a great addition to aerobic exercises, as it prepares the body for whatever exercise you plan on doing for the day. It can also take pressure off of your joints and relieve some of your pain. Even if you aren’t planning on exercising during the day, you should still stretch; any movement is better than none if you want to relieve pain caused by nerve damage!

There are many different types of stretches that you can try depending on where you experience pain. Communicate with your doctor or physiotherapist to decide what stretches would be beneficial for you.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy can help you relieve pain, regain muscle function, and set goals to decrease pain in the future. They may also recommend medications to help with pain relief in extreme circumstances.

Your physiotherapist may focus on different goals or use different techniques depending on your specific injury. A few common techniques include massage therapy, lower-level laser therapy, and acupuncture. You may also be assigned muscle strengthening exercises if your nerve damage has caused muscle weakness.

Relaxation Techniques

Stress can worsen pain experienced by nerve damage, so finding relaxation techniques to relieve stress can work wonders for you. Take the time to discover relaxing activities that you enjoy and spend a few hours each day participating in them. You should also keep a solid sleep schedule to help reduce stress during the day.

Do I Need a Lawyer if I Have Nerve Damage?

If you suffer from nerve damage following a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. A car accident attorney can help nerve damage victims get the care they need after a serious injury. They can assist you with gathering evidence and filing your claim.

Make sure you hold onto any relevant information regarding your injuries, such as notes from your doctor’s visits and any medical devices you’ve needed as a result of your injuries. You should also include any wages lost if you were unable to work due to your injuries. Your attorney will be able to assist with any further information you need to gather for your claim.

If you received nerve damage following an accident, make sure you visit your doctor right away, then find an attorney to help file your claim.