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Car Accident - Neck Pain

Hi all, last year I was involved in a car accident, in which the driver attempted to make a turn, which turned and went downwards at the same time, at roughly 50-60 mph (I believe) and the vehicle came off the road, airborne, took out a sign, a fence, and ended up hitting a gaurdrail sideways.  I was in the back behind the driver and my main impact, as I remember it, was my head going sideways, presumably when the gaurdrail was hit.  There was a forward impact too, but the sideways was the one that was worst.

After the accident, for several weeks, I had pretty bad neck pain, and had trouble turning my head very far.  However, it cleared up for the most part, and I forgot about it.

However, lately, i.e. the past three months or so, I've been noticing my neck giving me trouble more and more often.  At this point, it has become pretty much continuously just a dull soreness, occasionally becoming mild pain, at seemingly random times.  The reason I think they may be related, is because my neck only ever has pain on the lefthand side, in the same place.  That place was also the place where my neck pain was after the accident.

My confusion is that I had no pain for roughly a year or so since the accident.  The accident was July 2012, the pain has been coming back since late summer 2013.

Do you guys think this is related? And should I do anything about it?  I don't think it's anything spine-related.  Probably just strained muscles I assume.  But I'm not sure.  Any thoughts would be great!
6 Responses
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6644983 tn?1383335840
I was in cat wreak 2 years ago they took all the people that where in the car at the time to the er right way and I don't know why they didn't take you to the er when it happend and I would set appt with a neck and spine doctor right way to make sure there no broken bones
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620923 tn?1452915648

  Keep us posted on ur progress
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the thoughts, I appreciate it!  I'm thinking I'll wait a few more months and see what happens, but perhaps I'll get checked if it continues the way it has been.

Thanks guys!
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620923 tn?1452915648

  Hi...I was in an accident yrs ago and it took a long time b4 I had issues and connected it to the accident, but I did have whip lash that over time u can continually get worse.....

It is neck pain, shoulders etc....a MRI or xray may help.

Also a syrinx can develop from this type of injury and they can be slow to form so, testing to find out what it is , is what I would suggest......

BTW- I did not get my whip lash DX for 14 yrs after the accident...so I encourage u to get checked.
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Avatar universal
Hi caregiver222, thanks for the input and the thoughts, but I really don't think that this little problem is going to put me in a wheelchair or anything.

I'd feel that way perhaps if I felt more show-stopping kind of pain.  But for right now, it's just an annoying twinge at various times, when I turn my head.  Annoying, certainly, but not exactly crippling.

Thanks though!
Helpful - 0
144586 tn?1284666164
You have what is called a subluxation injury and there have been numerous medhelp posts on treatments. Essentially there is misalignment and deterioration of the cartilidge between the cervical vertebra. The bad news is, it can get worse, become level ten pain, and you may end up with a walker. And a frozen shoulder and hand. The good news is, properly treated, this can usually be avoided. These symptoms manifest themselves eight to fourteen months after the neck flexure, so there is often an issue connecting the problem with an accident. Treatment should be covered by vehicle insurance of the person who owned the car(s), unless you signed a quitclaim. You need an MRI, preferably a 3T MRI and treatment by a physician who knows exactly what they are doing. I do not recommend a chiropractor. They are not the best for testifying in court and usually do not have access to an MRI.
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