The sooner the better! Assuming you don’t need emergency medical attention at a hospital, it’s important to get checked out by a qualified provider to properly diagnose and document your injuries. At Northland Spine and Rehabilitation, we specialize in providing prompt and thorough examination and diagnosis of these types of pains. Dr Blake Overly is expertly trained and holds post-graduate certification in Whiplash and Brain Injury Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.

The most common type of injury sustained in an auto accident is a soft tissue injury. Occasionally, collisions can result in more obvious injuries such as fractures, open lacerations and sometimes worse. More often though, patient complaints are of the soft tissue variety, including whiplash, neck pain, headaches, dizziness, radiating pain and other pains seen in your extremities such as the shoulders, knees or hips.

This is a common question and usually makes sense once it is explained to patients. Auto accidents can often be traumatizing events. Our bodies natural response to these incidents is to trigger our “fight or flight” response, which releases adrenaline and other natural endorphins which often temporarily block our pain responses. These typically wear off over the course of hours to a few days and pain begins to set in. Additionally, injuries to soft tissue such as discs and muscles/tendons often present as expected stiffness in the immediate aftermath of a collision, before inflammation begins and pain is finally realized.

Whiplash is more of a “mechanism of injury” than an injury itself. Common symptoms can include stiffness, swelling, pain, radiation into the extremities, tenderness and various other discomforts. These pains are usually the result of rapid “whipping” of the neck back and forth commonly seen in auto accidents, resulting in injury to the muscles, tendons and discs of the spine.

You certainly might! We believe in ordering the appropriate imaging to properly diagnose a patient at the onset of presentation. Our office has digital x-rays in house and we use them when indicated, however it is our belief that MRI is the gold-standard form of imaging to properly diagnose and assess most soft tissue injuries. To put it in layman’s terms, x-rays typically show hard tissue (bone) and is good for viewing potential fractures and basic orientation of the spine. MRI’s show all the other stuff (muscles, discs, nerves) and other more commonly injured tissue. Our office has a network of various facilities we can refer you to for more advanced imaging.

There are multiple options available to help cover the cost of care following a motor vehicle collision. It can also be very confusing if this is the first time you’ve ever found yourself in this situation. Our office is happy to walk you through the process, examine all coverages available and make sure you’re able to get the care you need without the financial burden of payment up front. In most scenarios, either the at-fault party’s policy or sometimes your own policy has built-in coverage for medical care. There are many rules and statutes that dictate payment, but our office can help explain all of these coverages. We also often work on a lien, which means you get the treatment you need now and we agree to wait for payment until you settle your case and finish your care.

Every injury—and every patient—is different.

Some patients begin feeling noticeably better within just a few visits, while others with more significant injuries require a longer course of treatment or additional medical care.

At Northland Spine and Rehabilitation, our philosophy is simple: provide no more treatment than necessary and no less than your injury requires.

If your recovery isn’t progressing as expected, we’ll discuss additional treatment options and, when appropriate, coordinate care with trusted medical specialists to ensure you receive the care that’s right for you.