Over 82 percent of all vehicle accidents resulted in bodily injuries according to Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Traffic Crash Statistics Report 2010.
There are a multitude of injuries resulting from a vehicle accident from simple airbag burns to actual death. The most common injuries in an motor vehicle accident involve the human spine. Sprain and strain, herniated disc, and whiplash are the most common of the spinal injuries.
Sprain and Strain
Sprain and strain involve stretching or tearing of the tissue which is called a strain if it involves muscle and sprain if it involves ligaments.
Sprain is caused by sudden and strong contraction, torsion, a direct blow, or sudden forceful straightening.
Strain is partial or complete tears of the muscle tendon units sustained in forceful stretching. Temporary or permanent damage can result. Chronic pain can often develop and there may be no correlation between the magnitude of impact and degree of injury.
Herniated disc
Herniated disc refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (discs) between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack up to make your spine. A spinal disc is a little like a jelly doughnut, with a softer center encased within a tougher exterior. Sometimes called a slipped disc or a ruptured disc, a herniated disc occurs when some of the softer “jelly” pushes out through a crack in the tougher exterior.
Disc herniation can compress the spinal cord and nerves. This can result in sensory changes (touch, pinprick, temperature) motor strength, and reflex action which can become hyper-reflexive or decreased. These changes are called radiculopathy. There can also be painful chemical inflammation called radiculitis from leakage of nucleus pulposis from the disc due to disruption of the annulus.
Whiplash
Whiplash is “a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck” wherein the “intervertebral joints (located between vertebrae), discs, ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots may become damaged”. While it may be classified as a "neck injury," whiplash occurs at the cerebral spine which is the most superior portion of the vertebral column. Whiplash is often a result of a car accident where a sudden jerking motion of the head happens when the vehicle is brought to a sudden stop after traveling at a reasonable speed.
Concussion
Concussions are a common type of injury sustained in car accidents often a mild form of traumatic brain injury (or TBI). Often caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, concussion causes the brain to move around within the skull and interferes with normal brain function. It's effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance, and coordination.
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