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How to Recognize & Treat a Concussion After an Accident

A concussion, a mild type of brain injury, is not usually life-threatening. But, even so, it is important to seek medical attention immediately if you have the symptoms of one.

Concussions occur when your brain collides against the inside of your skull and are quite common after car accidents.

Our team at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel discusses how to recognize the symptoms of a concussion and how to treat one if you have been in an accident.

What is a Concussion?

A concussion is a type of brain injury that is caused by a jolt to the head that forces the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth—like in a car accident.

The sudden movement and forces involved in a car accident can cause the brain to bounce around or twist in the skull, bruising nerves and blood vessels, and causing chemical changes in your brain that can result in the temporary loss of normal brain function.

A single concussion won’t usually cause permanent damage to your brain, but multiple concussions over a lifetime can result in long-lasting changes in your brain.

Remember, though considered a mild brain injury, the effects of concussions can be quite serious.

Symptoms of a Concussion

If you have been in a car accident and notice any of the following symptoms, don’t hesitate to seek treatment at our clinic at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel.

Symptoms of a concussion include:

• Headache (most common)
• Confusion
• Amnesia
• Dizziness
• Slurred speech
• Blurred vision
• Nausea or vomiting
• Light or sound sensitivity
• Difficulty concentrating
• Personality changes
• Feeling tired or drowsy

Learn More> How Serious is a Headache After an Accident?

How Soon Do Symptoms Appear?

Concussion symptoms usually manifest within minutes of a head injury; however, some symptoms can take hours or days to appear.

Treating a Concussion

A concussion should be treated by a medical professional as soon as possible so they can determine the severity of the concussion.

There are three grades of concussions:

• Grades 1 and 2 are minor and require a period of rest or medication to help you recover, which can range between a few hours or days.
• Grade 3 is more severe and requires more treatment. You may have to stay in the hospital for a night for observation.

In most cases, rest is the best treatment for a concussion, but it is important to visit a doctor to ensure that your injuries aren’t more serious.

Also, due to tension in the neck caused by a concussion, a visit to a chiropractor for neck adjustments can help reduce concussion discomfort and pain.

Most symptoms of concussions resolve over seven to 14 days, but it is important to remember not to overdo it (such as going back to the gym) sooner than one week after a concussion.

Remember

Concussions affect people differently, especially if caused by an accident where other injuries or symptoms may be present. While most people recover quickly and fully, some will experience symptoms that last for days and even weeks. The symptoms of a severe concussion could last for months or longer.

Never compare your recovery to someone else or another concussion that you may have experienced. Give yourself ample time to heal.

Visit Impact Medical Wesley Chapel for Concussion Treatment

If you have been in an accident and are experiencing any symptoms of a concussion, come visit our clinic at Impact Medical Wesley Chapel for exceptional care and treatment. Our physicians, chiropractors, and physical therapists are ready to help you heal and recover! Call today to schedule an appointment; 813-953-1002!

Here’s Why You Have Shoulder Blade Pain After an Accident

When it comes to car accidents, the entire body becomes a target for injuries. One of the areas that can be affected is the shoulder which can be extremely debilitating since we frequently use our arms to perform daily duties and rituals. Impact Medical Cutler Bay is here to educate you on the types of shoulder blade injuries that can happen in an accident and what you can do to treat your symptoms.

Types of Shoulder Injuries

The shoulder may seem like such a minimal target for an impact, but there are actually many types of injuries that can occur.

Misaligned Shoulders

Being one of the less severe injuries, dislocations can easily result from your shoulder being pushed into an unnatural position. The ball located in the joint can be shifted out of place and can sometimes induce tears in the process.

Symptoms:

• Pain
• Inflammation
• Muscle spasms
• Lack of motion

Tissue Damage

Injuries involving tissue are the most common type of injury regarding car accidents. For the shoulder, the labral is the most susceptible to being stretched or torn on impact. The labral is what holds the ball in the socket of your joint. If this tissue is torn enough, the breach of integrity can even lead to a dislocated joint.

Symptoms:

• Pain
• Lack of motion
• Possible dislocation

Whiplash

The more commonly known type of car accident injury is whiplash. This occurs when the head is jerked around at a high enough speed in various directions. Although whiplash is mainly associated with the head and neck area, the pain can radiate down to the shoulder region.

Symptoms:

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Tingling
• Lack of motion

Torn Rotator Cuff

Your rotator cuff consists of a group of tendons located around the shoulder joint. Like with many injuries, torn rotator cuffs can happen from the body twisting in unnatural ways during an impact. A minor case would be a partial or incomplete tear which only causes some pain, but a full-thickness or complete tear separates the tendon from the bone that it’s attached to. This can lead to more drastic symptoms.

Symptoms:

• Pain
• Weakness
• Lack of motion
• Crackling sensation

Strained Bursa

Medically referred to as bursitis, a strained bursa is followed by inflammation and difficulty moving your arms. The bursa is what cushions the soft tissue in your joints and keeps them from rubbing against your bones. Their composition consists of fluid-filled sacs to provide adequate protection. When hit hard enough, your bursa can swell to the point of pain or discomfort.

Symptoms:

• Pain
• Tenderness
• Inflammation
• Lack of motion

Treatments for Shoulder Injuries

For most tissue and muscle-related injuries, nursing your shoulder back to health will take some time and effort. However, chiropractic care and physical therapy are both provenly-effective ways to receive proper care and at a faster rate than home remedies. Chiropractic care is especially helpful in many aspects including improved range of motion, muscle strength, flexibility, and reduced pain and inflammation. Physical therapy will further accelerate the healing process by helping you regain shoulder strength and mobility.

Our shoulders are an essential part of our body. It’s how we lift our forks, change our clothes, brush our teeth, and nearly every other action we take. If your shoulders have been impacted in a car accident and you’re suffering from any of the above symptoms, give Impact Medical Cutler Bay a call to schedule an appointment so our dedicated team of professionals can help you get your shoulder back in working order!

Common Seatbelt Injuries and How We Treat Them

Every time you get behind the wheel of your car and drive on the roads around Miami, you are at risk of a car accident. It’s just the nature of driving on busy, congested highways and streets. But getting in a car accident is always the furthest thing from your mind as you’re focused on getting where you need to go safely. And part of that safety is ensuring that you and your passengers are wearing your seatbelts. 

But unfortunately, no matter how safe you are, accidents happen, and when they do, your seatbelt can still cause injuries. Here at Impact Medical Miami, we treat seatbelt injuries all the time. So, you may find yourself wondering what are the most common seatbelt injuries and how exactly do we treat them? Well, that’s what we’re going to dive into and discuss today. 

Why Your Seatbelt Can Cause Injury? 

The entire idea around your seat belt is to keep you restrained in the event of a collision or accident. Literally to prevent you from flying out of your seat and causing further injury that could’ve been prevented. After all, when you’re in a collision, your car is going to come to a quick and sudden stop, while your body will still be moving at the speed you were driving unless your seat belt stops you as it’s designed to do. 

But that tightening of your seat belt that occurs in the event of an accident can still cause injuries to your body. There may be injuries to both your lower and upper body from an accident between the lap belt and shoulder belt. It’s when your seatbelt does what it’s meant to do and keeps you from moving forward when your car comes to a sudden stop, so you don’t crush your chest into the steering wheel or, worse, end up through the windshield. 

Common Injuries from Seatbelts

There are quite a few significant and common injuries we regularly treat at Impact Medical Miami caused by seatbelts. One of the most serious ones is abdominal injuries that can happen if you’re only wearing your lap belt and not a shoulder harness. 

Bruised Ribs

These are common injuries when the seatbelt constricts on your chest to keep you from causing further damage in a sudden stop or collision. 

Lacerations And Abrasions on Your Chest Or Sternum

While you may not feel this injury immediately after your accident, the pressure from the seatbelt and accident can cause lacerations and abrasions on your chest or sternum. This is why you want to be sure to get a thorough evaluation from a seatbelt injury specialist at Impact Medical. 

Shoulder Pain

This can be caused by the seatbelt tightening your shoulder during the accident. It can even cause soft tissue injuries like tearing your tendons and muscle fibers that cause an incredible amount of pain and discomfort if they go untreated.

How We Treat Seatbelt Injuries

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, you want to be sure to work with emergency personnel on the scene. And if no one came to your scene, it’s essential to be seen by seatbelt injury experts like the staff here at Impact Medical Miami. This way, you’re getting a complete picture of your injury as well as a comprehensive recovery plan that will address every injury that may have occurred during your accident. 

Some of the ways that we help treat your seatbelt injuries: 

• We can identify the root cause of your injury. And that be sure not just to treat your symptoms but address their underlying cause. 
• We can ensure that your body is properly aligned to maximize your recovery process. 
• We create a customized recovery plan that won’t cause complications or side effects. 

Stop Living with Seatbelt Injury Pain

If you think that you’re suffering from seatbelt injury pain from an accident, we invite you to reach out to our Impact Medical team in Miami. Our staff is always here to help you optimize your recovery and provide you with expert, friendly medical care. 

Your road to wellness starts here… So, give us a call today at (786)-789-3171.

PT vs. Corrective Exercises for Car Crash Injury Pain

After you’ve endured a car crash, should you seek out a physical therapist or a corrective exercise specialist? What’s even the difference? The professionals at Impact Medical Sarasota are here to clear up the details so you can properly treat your injuries with confidence.

What is a Physical Therapist?

Many people attend physical therapy sessions to restore functionality to their affected areas and improve any range of movement that they may have lost from the car crash. These sessions have also been known to manage pain as well as prevent certain disabilities from developing. Physical therapists are very hands-on, much like a chiropractor. All practices, exercises, and movements are done in-office to ensure full accuracy and effectiveness during the treatment process. Other benefits of physical therapy include:

• Improving overall balance
• Regaining muscle control
• Encouraging a long-term healthy lifestyle

Physical therapy sessions can go on for as long as the patient desires, and is the best option for immediate and direct treatment after withstanding such a traumatic event.

What is a Corrective Exercise Specialist?

Corrective exercises are effective in correcting imbalances and promoting muscle strength just as physical therapy does. However, the main difference between corrective exercise specialists and a physical therapist is that these specialists do not actively work on the patient. Rather, they run a full diagnostic on the injuries gained during an accident and formulate a plan for the patient to follow outside of the office. They are able to identify movement complications and equip their patients with the knowledge needed to properly exercise it back to health. This may be ideal for some cases, but car crash injuries typically require more immediate attention.

The Bottom Line

Both styles of care have their benefits and uses depending on what you need at the moment. For car crashes in particular, physical therapy is more ideal in treating intense injuries that require more urgent attention. To put into perspective, here are the most distinct differences between physical therapists and corrective exercise specialists:

Physical Therapist	Corrective Exercise Specialist
● Gives hands-on treatment ● Sessions last as long as you want ● Treatments are done in office with supervision	● Gives diagnosis and recommendations ● Sessions have a set end date ● Treatments are self-administered at home

Ready to Receive the Right Care?

Car crash injuries can evolve into a more critical state if not tended to promptly. Call Impact Medical Sarasota today to schedule your first physical therapy session and begin the path to a full recovery.