Even minor motor vehicle accidents can trigger severe injuries. After your recent collision on New Jersey’s roads, are you as fine as you feel?
To help determine if you suffered a soft-tissue injury, learn more about them from Johns Hopkins Medicine. Do not mistake a personal injury for an everyday ache or pain.
Stress fracture
The feet, hips and legs may sustain stress fractures in an accident. These slight cracks in the bone appear in weight-bearing bones in the lower half of the body. Treatment includes rest, elevating the fracture, anti-inflammatory medicine and ice. A stress fracture may worsen into a full break, which may require surgery.
Bursitis
Direct trauma to the joint during an accident may trigger bursitis. Swelling of the cushioning fluid sac occurs most often in the foot, ankle, shoulder, elbow and knee. Addressing the small-tissue injury involves anti-inflammatory medication, compression, rest, elevation and ice.
Sprain
With sprains, the injury affects several parts of the body. Ankles, muscles, wrists and knees may sustain sprains after a collision. Addressing the partial tear requires elevation, ice, rest and compression.
Contusion
The raw force involved with some accidents may bruise the soft tissue, which is a contusion. Blood rushes into the tissue, which may lead to discoloration, pain and inflammation. Like many other soft-tissue injuries, common treatments for contusions are rest, ice, compression and elevation.
Strain
Motor vehicle accidents may injure tendons or muscles. If the strain turns into a tear, surgery may become necessary.
Do not brush off any discomfort that you experience after a collision, no matter how minor. You could have a soft-tissue injury to address.