With the winter season already here in Minnesota, it is extremely important for drivers to recall that driving on snow packed and icy roads is a very different situation than driving on dry roadways. It is easy to forget how to drive safely during the winter months, and it takes time to get used to it-resulting in a higher number of auto accidents in the beginning of the snowy season. Common types of car accidents include rear-end collisions, sliding through intersections, and accidents caused by poor visibility. Unfortunately, auto accidents caused by winter weather can lead to mild to severe injuries. On average, over 70,900 people are injured in winter weather-related crashes each year.
Auto accident injuries produced by winter weather include:
Brain and Head injuries- Suffered by both the driver and passenger(s). An acquired brain injury caused by the head being hit or striking an object violently. Symptoms can range from mild to severe depending on how badly damage done to the brain and the area affected is. Even if there is no visible sign of injury (i.e. bleeding or bruises), the brain might have been bumped inside the skull as a result of the force of impact which can cause bruising, bleeding, and swelling of the brain. Headaches are the most common reported injury after a car accident.
- Neck Injuries- Neck injuries can range from mild (whiplash, neck strain), to more severe (cervical dislocation and disc injury). Neck injuries can start off as being just an ache but can quickly turn severe-resulting in chronic pain- if left untreated.
- Spinal Cord Injuries- Damage to the spinal cord develops when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments stretch and tear into spinal cord tissue-resulting in the destruction of axons. Axons transfer signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of your body. Damage done to the spinal cord can cause loss of function or feeling.
- Back Injuries- Back injuries can range from mild to severe- with the lower back being the most common area affected. Common back injuries include sprains, strains, herniated discs, and fractured vertebrae. Patients suffering from back injuries cause pain and notice a restriction in their range of motion. Often, signs and symptoms of back pain-even in severe cases- take time to appear after an accident. It is extremely important to seek care even if you don't have symptoms of back pain, as it can develop into long lasting pain and discomfort.
- Facial Injuries- Facial injuries are common and may be caused by the steering wheel, dashboard, airbag, windshield, side window, car seats or broken glass. Mild face injuries include minor scrapes and bruises to more severe injuries which affect the jaw and major dental injuries.
- Psychological Injuries- Drivers and passengers involved with car accidents associated with serious injury or loss of life can lead to short or long-term physiological injuries including emotional distress, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Psychological injuries can be debilitating to a person's life and can have long-lasting effects.
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from an auto accident due to winter weather, chiropractic care can help. Chiropractic care has been proven to reduce risk of injury and rehabilitate the body naturally and safely. Chiropractic care is a proven, hands on, natural and effect approach for both acute and chronic symptoms after a car accident.
Not only does chiropractic care treat symptoms and conditions, we assess your needs structurally, nutritionally, and emotionally for overall health and well-being. Chiropractic care believes that our bodies need to be treated from every angle for best, long-lasting results.
You already have to suffer driving through the wintery Minnesota winter months, why suffer from car accident injuries. Call today! We treat patients in the Minneapolis and Metro area.