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Upper Extremity
Shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers are commonly injured as a result of a car accident, especially for those not wearing a seat belt. These injuries typically occur while trying to brace oneself during impact. Shoulder injuries typically occur because of seat belt restraint. Drivers and passengers who are hit from the side also show a high incidence of shoulder and arm injuries because of impact with the vehicle's door or window.
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Many patients also have some numbness or tingling in the upper extremity after a car accident. In the majority of these cases, the actual damage may be in the neck where spinal nerves exit the spinal cord to travel to the arms and hands. Carpal tunnel symptoms are generally an exception where the damage is usually located in the wrist. Tissue damage in the wrist causing swelling and spasm may create a numbness or tingling sensation in the hands. Many patients state that their arms and hands "feel asleep".
Lower Extremity
Legs, ankles, feet, and toes are also commonly injured while trying to brace oneself during impact. These injuries are typically seen by drivers and passengers not wearing a seat belt. Knees, legs, and feet are often thrown into interior vehicle structures causing fracture, pain, swelling, and spasm.
Numbness & tingling is also commonly felt in the lower extremity after a car accident. The actual damage is usually present in the lumbar spine where nerves supplying the lower extremities exit the spinal cord. Even though the damage is in the lower back, symptoms may present along the full course of the nerve down into the legs & feet.
Treatment
With proper treatment, the injuries as stated above, will gradually subside. Chiropractic care, massage therapy, and physical therapy are primary methods of treatment.
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