How long do you ache after a car accident?

Being in a car accident, regardless of how serious it is, can make you ask yourself a lot of questions.

“Is there any way I could have prevented this? Should I be worried about my insurance rates going up? Do I need to seriously consider getting a new car?”

All of those questions are valid, but there’s one important question that a lot of people don’t know the answer to: How long should you be sore after a car accident?

Maybe your spouse was just in an accident, and all of a sudden they’re complaining about having a stiff neck. Or maybe you’re wondering if your sore back is normal when you were in an accident nearly a month ago.

Regardless of why you’re wondering about soreness after a car accident, we’re here to give you the answers you need.

Most people feel sore for up to six weeks following a car accident, but this is just an average. There is no set formula that can tell you how long your soreness and discomfort will last. The amount of time you feel discomfort will be heavily dependent on the damage you sustained, and your diagnosis from your doctor.

Soreness is heavily dependent on the severity of the accident and your resulting injuries. That being said, it’s normal to feel a little sore for a few days after an accident, even a relatively minor one. Some people may feel fine immediately after an accident, only to have the pain and discomfort kick in a day or two later.

If you were in a very serious car accident, you may even experience pain for months or years afterward.

Don’t Wait to Seek Medical Attention

Rather than asking, “How long should you feel sore after a car accident?” you should be asking yourself, “How soon can I schedule a doctor’s appointment?”

Regardless of the severity of your accident, you should always follow up with a visit to a car accident doctor to determine the extent of your injuries.

Car accident injuries don’t always manifest symptoms (such as pain and soreness) until a few weeks after the accident. A swift diagnosis from a doctor followed with prompt treatment can significantly lessen the discomfort you feel afterward. It could even help prevent you from suffering from the long-term effects of an untreated injury.

It’s also important to schedule your appointment as soon as possible, as you only have 14 days following your accident to seek medical attention under your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. In some cases, your injuries won’t become symptomatic until those 14 days have already passed.

Why You Should Always See a Chiropractor After an Accident

Most people are unaware that PIP covers chiropractic care. But chiropractors (especially those who have specialized in car accident injuries) are especially effective at treating pain without resorting to drugs or surgery.

If you’re serious about your recovery, don’t limit your chiropractic appointments to one visit. Going in for a follow up after an accident could help them discover damage that wasn’t immediately visible during the first appointment. S/he can help monitor your pain, track important recovery milestones, and make sure that you’re recovering in the best way possible.

It’s important to note that seeking immediate medical treatment after an accident can also be important from an insurance and legal standpoint. Delaying treatment may cause an insurer to allege that your injuries weren’t very serious, or that they didn’t come from a car accident. A lawyer could use the same information against you in court.

Seeing a traditional medical doctor often results in a prescription for pain medication, which only treats your symptoms. By seeing a chiropractor in conjunction with your primary care physician, you can skip the unpleasant side effects of pain pills and address the underlying injury, so you can get back to a pain-free life.

Get Help

So, how long should you be sore after a car accident? It’s never too early to start treating your car accident injuries. If you are experiencing any amount of soreness, pain, or discomfort, you should schedule a visit to Oviedo Chiropractic as soon as possible.

Soreness and pain is the body’s way of alerting you to injury. Don’t ignore these signals!

Seeing a chiropractor following your car accident to realign the spine and get a medical massage goes beyond your symptoms to treat your actual injury.

At Oviedo Chiropractic, we use on-site X-rays to diagnose your condition and provide adjustments the same day. We will even coordinate with specialists and imaging companies for the most effective treatment strategies.

If you’re ready to get the treatment you need, book an appointment today.

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