Trauma suffered in motor vehicle accidents can trigger acute pain, the source of which can be immediately linked with the impact or abrasion. However, not all pain is felt right away. Adrenaline can decrease the victim’s ability to feel the effects of the trauma for days, weeks or months. When pain finally emerges, it can persist for long periods of time, which is why it is called chronic.
If you were involved in an auto accident, you should watch for these symptoms of chronic pain:
Headaches — If you suffer from headaches after the crash, you might attribute them to stress caused by what you just went through. But if headaches show up days later, they could signal a more serious issue, like a concussion or even a blood clot.
Shoulder and neck pain — The impact from a crash can cause whiplash, which is the most common delayed car accident injury. Whiplash happens when the muscles, nerves and joints in the neck and shoulders are subjected to violent back and forth movement.
Abdominal pain — It may take several days before you feel pain and bruising in that area, as well as hardness of the abdomen to the touch, which can be signs of internal bleeding or other injuries.
Back pain — Even low-speed auto accidents can cause back sprains, strains, herniated discs and tingling in the legs or arms. Adrenaline can mask back pain after the initial impact, but the symptoms can show up long afterward.
Numbness — A lack of feeling or sensation in your extremities could be a sign of a whiplash-associated disorder. This delayed-onset numbness is often caused by nerve damage in the spinal cord.
PTSD — It’s normal to feel distress, fear and anxiety at the accident scene, but if those feelings continue well after the crash, it could be a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, irritability and refusing to get into cars.
Fibromyalgia — This is a disorder that amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way the brain and spinal cord processes them.
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) — This often causes continuous burning or throbbing pain, usually in the arm, leg, hand or foot.
Chronic pain can be difficult to diagnose and to treat. Some conditions persist for years and require long-term treatment, which can be very expensive. Worse still is recurrent pain that limits one’s quality of life. This makes it important to seek medical attention immediately upon feeling any of these symptoms so that a treatment and pain management plan can begin and you can seek the financial compensation you need and deserve.
If you were in a car, truck or motorcycle crash in Connecticut and you are experiencing delayed symptoms, the team at Gesmonde, Pietrosimone & Sgrignari, L.L.C. may be able to help with your insurance and legal claims. Please call 203-745-0942 or contact us online to speak our Hamden and East Haven-based attorneys.
Gesmonde, Pietrosimone & Sgrignari, L.L.C. is located in Hamden, CT and serves clients in and around North Haven, Hamden, Waterbury, Bethany, Milford, Wallingford, Prospect, Woodbridge, Northford, Madison, Beacon Falls, Branford, Cheshire, North Branford, East Haven, Naugatuck, Meriden, Ansonia and New Haven County.
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