The vast majority of injuries in car accidents are head and neck injuries. At our local Urgent Care Clinic in Oklahoma City we have seen many different auto injure accidents.

Whiplash

• Whiplash is a non-technical, non-medical term used to describe a number of neck injuries. Although whiplash can be caused by a number of things, it’s most commonly associated with car accidents and it occurs when the impact of a crash causes your head to snap forward and then back.
• The first step in determining whether you have whiplash is to examine your symptoms. Common signs of a whiplash injury include:
• Neck pain
  Stiffness on the neck and shoulders
  Headaches
  Dizziness and fatigue
  Blurred vision and/or difficulty concentrating
  Ringing in the ears
  Pain when moving your head
• The injury is considered more serious if more areas of the body are involved. For example, if you feel pain or numbness in your arms or shoulders, this indicates a more serious problem than if you only feel discomfort on your neck.
• If our doctors suspect a fracture, dislocation or soft tissue injury, they might recommend x-rays or a MRI to evaluate the extent of the damage.
• In most cases, whiplash is treated through rest and the application of ice/heat. You might need to wear a soft cervical collar as well. In certain cases, your doctor might recommend that you see a specialist to assist you with manual therapy such as myofascial release or chiropractic adjustment.

Back Pain

• Depending on the type of car accident you were involved in, you might also experience mid or lower back pain. This is different to whiplash, which affects the upper part of your back and shoulders.
• Back pain due to a car accident can be short-term, mostly caused by the sudden jolt or force of the impact. Short-term pain is often connected to a muscle injury. Back pain can also be chronic, which often occurs when the spine or tissues surrounding the spine are damaged. Left untreated, pain can lower your quality of life and lead to other problems in the future.
• Our doctors will evaluate the reason for your back pain through a series of x-rays, ultrasound imaging, computerized tomography (CT) or an MRI scan, depending on the location and the type of pain you’re experiencing.
• Treatment for back pain depends on the type of injury you sustained, but can include medication, osteopathic manipulation techniques, chiropractic care, spinal stimulation, bioelectric therapy and more.

Soft Tissue Damage

• Soft tissue injuries are injuries to the nerves, tendons and ligaments. Sometimes the muscles are also injured during a car accident.
• These type of injuries can vary from mild sprains and strains to micro-tears of the fibers of the muscle and tendons. Whiplash is a form of soft-tissue injury, but you can also injure your back, shoulders and even arms during a car accident.
• Soft tissue damage is hard to diagnose because it sometimes doesn’t show in x-rays or other machinery. At our clinic, we look not only at the results of tests, but also at your symptoms and levels of pain and discomfort to diagnose a soft tissue injury and help you find the best treatment option for it.

Don’t delay – please visit our walk in Urgent Care Clinic in North Oklahoma City and meet with one of our Health Care Providers as soon as possible to prevent health complications in the future.

Urgent Care Services NW OKC

Charter Immediate Care Clinic

NE CORNER OF MAY & BRITTON (IN THE LUBY’S SHOPPING CENTER)

9402 N. May Ave

Oklahoma City OK 73120

(405) 755-8000