Signs You Should Go to the Doctor After a Fender Bender

Each year, about 1.7 million Americans are involved in fender benders or rear-end car accidents. These accidents typically occur in heavy traffic at low speeds, but that doesn’t necessarily mean injuries aren’t possible.

Despite many people declining to visit the hospital after a fender bender, failing to do so can increase the risk of missed or undiagnosed conditions, including concussions, and lead to other complications, such as back pain, migraines, or whiplash.

At Palm Beach Pain Institute in Delray Beach, Florida, board-certified pain management physician Marcie Merson, MD, regularly treats fender bender-related injuries.

Here, she explains why injury symptoms often don’t appear until a few days after a car accident and highlights symptoms that warrant a trip to our office.

Why injuries do not always show up immediately after a fender bender

Fender benders typically aren’t as serious as high-impact collisions. They often occur at lower speeds and don’t always trigger the airbags. However, being hit from behind strains your musculoskeletal system, increasing the risk of soft-tissue injuries.

Even so, many people involved in these accidents don’t realize they were injured until a day or two later. That’s because immediately following an accident, the hormone adrenaline gets released into your bloodstream, masking pain and other symptoms. 

It’s not until after your adrenaline levels return to normal that aching and discomfort appear.

Common injury symptoms that warrant a trip to the doctor

Don’t wait to contact us if you’re involved in a fender bender and experience any of the following symptoms:

Neck pain or whiplash

Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury that occurs when your head snaps back and forth rapidly, which strains the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your upper back, neck, or shoulders, leading to neck pain, headaches, and stiffness.

Headaches

Car accidents often cause head injuries due to direct trauma, like hitting the steering wheel or dashboard, or by straining the muscles in the neck, which can contribute to headaches.

Mild headaches often improve with rest or over-the-counter pain medication, but severe headaches, like migraines, may be a sign of a concussion or another serious injury.

Numbness, tingling, or weakness

Sometimes, fender benders cause nerves in the back, neck, or shoulders to be pinched or compressed. When this happens, it often causes numbness, tingling, or weakness that radiates into the arms or legs. Mild nerve compression typically improves over time, but if your symptoms affect your mobility or balance or keep you from daily activities, it’s critical to identify the cause.

Persistent pain that worsens

It’s normal to experience back pain, hip pain, or shoulder pain after a car accident, but this discomfort should improve over time. If you notice your pain persisting or worsening, it’s important to take action. Ignoring the problem can delay healing and lead to long-term complications.

We can help you recover from a fender bender

If you’re struggling to recover from a fender bender fully, don’t wait to explore interventional pain management. After an exam and diagnostic imaging, we can determine the source of your symptoms and develop a treatment plan to help your body heal so you feel better.

To get started, contact us today. Schedule an appointment by calling our office at 561-499-7020 or booking online.