Have you or your loved one ever been in a car accident? Serious injuries may stem from car accidents, including broken bones, torn muscles and ligaments, etc. These injuries are particularly painful and should be treated by experienced orthopedic specialists in Florida right away.
Maybe you have been checked by a general physician in an emergency room. If you think that’s adequate treatment, then you are wrong. Car accidents often show orthopedic injuries only much later after an accident. Thus, you need specialized care for these types of injuries.
Seeking treatment from an orthopedic medical practitioner is the wise way to go. Consult a trained and experienced orthopedic immediately after a car accident, and you can avoid the chances of developing debilitating diseases and a lifetime of pain.
Who is an Orthopedic Specialist?
Orthopedic doctors are those who treat diseases related to bones, joints, or nerves. Orthopedics are highly specialized practitioners. They can diagnose, create effective treatment plans, and treat patients with bone or joint issues. Orthopedic surgeons can also perform complex surgeries on bones and joints when needed. To become an orthopedic surgeon, a student must graduate from medical school and then complete a 5-year residency as an orthopedic surgeon.
Why See an Orthopedic After a Car Accident?
If you have been injured in a car accident, you must immediately see orthopedic specialists in Florida to treat your condition effectively. It is a crucial step for you to take.
Some of the most common injuries that orthopedics have to deal with after a car accident include:
Whiplash: This happens when your neck moves forward and backward quickly. It can result in neck sprain or strain, headache, fatigue, muscle spasms, etc.
Fractures: This happens when a bone breaks partially or entirely due to the impact of the collision. Fractures can occur in any area but are particularly prevalent in areas like hips, hands/fingers, clavicle, or ribs.
Dislocations: This happens when the impact of the accident pulls or forces away a bone from its normal position. It can cause heavy swelling, deformity, immobility, etc. Dislocations often occur in larger joint areas such as the hip or shoulder. But it can happen in the hands or fingers as well.
Shoulder impingements: This mainly occurs due to repeated stress on the joints. In a car accident, this may happen when the tendons and muscles of your shoulder rub against each other. This can cause constant shoulder pain or weakness in the arms or shoulder.
Herniated discs: This usually happens over time. However, excessive injury or strain can also cause herniated discs. This usually occurs in the lower back, but neck discs can also get herniated.
Meniscus tears: Meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage in the knee responsible for absorbing shocks between the leg’s lower and upper bones. The meniscus can tear when a car accident twists the knees and applies force.
The range of injuries differs in a car accident, and more than one mentioned above can happen. Thus, seeing a good orthopedic specialist in Florida is important to treat these injuries or prevent other long-term effects. In addition to an orthopedic, sometimes you may also need the best neurosurgeons in Florida to check you after a car accident when the damages also affect your nerves.
Degenerative Diseases that Car Accidents Can Trigger
Orthopedic doctors do not only treat immediate injuries, but they can also help you fend off degenerative diseases that can stem from car accidents.
Sometimes, the initial injuries are just the beginning. If not treated properly, they can induce a large range of degenerative diseases that only worsen over time.
Some degenerative diseases your orthopedic doctor can help you prevent include:
Arthritis: This disease causes joint pain ranging from mild to excruciating.
Spinal stenosis: There is a channel through the middle of your vertebrae. Stenosis occurs when this channel narrows. When the channel becomes too narrow, it affects your nervous system and is a very painful situation that worsens as it progresses.
Sciatica: The sciatic nerve runs from your lumbar back to both feet. Sciatica is a medical condition that develops when this nerve gets pinched. This condition causes pain ranging from mild to throbbing, depending on the severity.
Hip bursitis: Bursae are the “shocks” of your hips. Bursitis consists of inflammation of these shocks. The pain usually becomes unbearable with time.
Infections: After a fracture, there are chances of the bone poking out of the skin. If this is not treated promptly, there are risks of infections developing and causing additional complications.
Tendonitis: Tendons connect bones to muscles and run throughout the body. When the tendons get inflamed or irritated, it can form tendonitis. This condition causes pain that can be severe with time.
While a car accident might not show these symptoms immediately, the impact of the accident may cause these conditions to develop as time progresses. So, seeking immediate assistance from experienced orthopedic specialists in Florida is the best solution to prevent these conditions from developing.
How Quickly Should You See an Orthopedic?
It is recommended to accept the treatment offered at the car scene. Even if you decide to see a doctor later, it must be as soon as possible from the date of the accident.
Some immediate injuries, such as lacerations, bone fractures, and other obvious injuries, will need to be checked by specialists right away. But while some injuries are blatant, others are not so. An experienced orthopedic will be able to determine what injuries you have and what conditions you might develop later and plan and suggest the right treatment plan for you.
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