Treatment for Auto Accident-Induced Muscle Spasms

Your life and health can change in the blink of an eye due to an auto accident. Many people can attest to that. Approximately three million people are injured annually in auto accidents, with more than one million of them sustaining permanent injuries.

One of the most prevalent musculoskeletal injuries caused by car accidents is muscle spasms in the neck, back, shoulders and legs. At Hanowell Spine Clinic, we provide treatment for these and other auto accident injuries to relieve pain and aid in recovery, so you can return to work and normal activities.

What Are Muscle Spasms?

Muscles are supposed to release and loosen after they contract and tighten. When a muscle doesn’t relax, you get a muscle spasm or cramp, resulting in a knotted and tight muscle. It is painful, especially if it’s a continuous spasm in a major muscle group, like the lower back.

You might be experiencing muscle spasms if you were recently in a car accident. They are a common side effect that may go away on their own. However, if they persist after several days, you can contact the Hanowell Spine Clinic in Covington, GA. We offer muscle spasm treatment to give you relief, including trigger point injections or steroid injections to relieve inflammation and myofascial release techniques to loosen tightened muscles.

How Does a Car Crash Cause Muscle Spasms?

Many things occur before, during and after a collision that can cause muscle spasms. First, your body’s reactions to lessen the impact are quick and, perhaps, awkwardly positioned. For example, your shoulders might dart in an abnormal direction to support your body’s movement. Also, your neck and hands have to make swift adjustments.

The muscles in these various body parts suffer fiber damage from being overstretched, which you may not feel straight away because of your adrenaline rush. The torn fibers inside the muscle core can cause involuntary spasms immediately or periodically over time. Chronic muscle spasms can develop if left untreated.

Furthermore, your body subconsciously stiffens and recoils seconds before the accident occurs. The muscles are tightening up like this as a way to protect you from engaging in further injurious movement. Unfortunately, these abnormal movements can cause inflammation and muscle spasms post-collision. Muscle spasms resulting from irregular muscle contractions can lead to swelling, change of posture, inability to carry heavy objects, discomfort and severe pain.

Do Not Disregard Mild Discomfort

Your neck or back pain from an accident is likely muscle spasms. Other common areas prone to muscle spasms include the shoulders, legs and feet. If you do not get proper medical care, further damage can occur, and the condition can become a life-long problem.

Muscle spasms that become severe can cause other debilitating conditions such as spinal fracture, muscle damage in your lower back and joint injury. It can even cause life-threatening conditions like disc rupturing, a severe medical condition leading to spinal disc degeneration.

It is vital to seek medical care sooner than later. Muscle spasms and their underlying causes are easily treated early on, so do not dismiss mild pain after a car accident.

There are professional treatments available to soothe and relax tight muscles if you’ve been unsuccessful in attempts to relieve the pain by yourself within a few days. At Hanowell Spine Clinic, we can end your discomfort and improve mobility. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.