Neck Pain and Cervical Dislocation After a Car Accident
Cervical fractures and dislocations make up half of all spinal column injuries. Despite that, they’re rarely talked about and not well understood by most.
Plus, the condition does sound pretty frightening!
If you got involved in a forceful accident, then you could have a cervical dislocation. Most of these injuries happen after falls, car accidents, or sports. They can also happen as a result of intentional violence.
It’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of this injury so you can get the help you deserve. Read on to understand everything you need to know to secure a treatment plan that’s right for you.
What’s a Cervical Dislocation?
Many car accident injury cases involve some form of neck injury. Cervical dislocation is one of the most common. This type of injury happens when a ligament in your neck gets injured. Two or more of your spinal bones become separated, too, which leads to neck instability.
Sometimes, cervical dislocation is an isolated injury. At other times, it happens in conjunction with a cervical fracture.
A cervical fracture happens when a bone in your neck breaks.
There are two main types of cervical dislocations. One, the occipital-cervical, happens in the spine closer to the brain. The subaxial cervical spine dislocation happens further down your spine.
Symptoms and Signs to Watch For
As explained, these injuries often happen in pretty traumatic accidents. It’s uncommon for these injuries to appear in low-energy situations. The number one sign you could have cervical strain is experiencing a severe accident.
The next symptom to watch for is neck pain.
Neck pain can range from mild stiffness to severe pain. It’s also surprising that delayed neck pain after an accident is common, even with a broken neck. Adrenaline and other life-saving chemicals may mask your injuries at first.
If you got involved in a serious trauma and have neck pain, your doctors should check for dislocation.
Over time, you may notice more symptoms like numbness in your arms or legs. Weakness of these extremities is common, too. You may even experience difficulty breathing.
Treatment Options
There are limited treatment options for a cervical dislocation. Surgery, named cervical fusion, may be necessary to fuse your spine bones back in place. Otherwise, you may need to wear a neck brace.
With either treatment, medication is often necessary. Pain management is a huge part of your recovery.
How to Deal With Neck Pain Going Forward
Cervical dislocation is often very painful and scary. In the worst cases, it can even lead to a loss of feeling and leave you paralyzed. Depending on the severity of your injury, you may need immediate surgery.
Recovery IS possible, so regardless of your injury, you can keep going forward!
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