Car Accident Soft Tissue Injuries
Car accident soft tissue injuries (injuries of the brain, nerves, ligaments, discs) are not merely nuisances as insurance adjusters may try to make you believe. These injuries are far worse than breaking a bone. Bones heal completely, but connective soft tissues never completely heal leading to long term pain and impairment.
Hard tissue vs Soft tissue myths
Myth: Accidents involving hard tissue damage are serious.
Fact: A broken arm or leg in a car accident recovers faster and better than soft tissue injuries
Why? When we break a bone, the bone heals itself with new bone tissue. The fracture site usually is thickened with new bone and is actually stronger than prior to the fracture.
Myth: Soft tissue injuries are not serious, only nuisance issues
Fact: Soft tissues include the brain, discs, nerves, and ligaments. Does an injury to those structures really seem harmless?
Why? The brain and nerves control the function of the entire body; if they are damaged wide ranging problems can occur. Disc and ligament injuries cause instability in the spine that leads to degenerative arthritis within a few years of the injury
Myth: Ligaments heal just fine
Fact: Ligaments do not repair with new ligament tissue. Bones and muscles regrow new bone and new muscle cells, but discs and ligaments cannot do that.
Why? We are born with all the ligament, disc and cartilage cells we will ever have. Once damaged, these tissue cannot heal. Instead they are repaired with scar tissue. Scar tissue is a cheap, weak tissue that renders the new ligament weaker, less flexible and unable to keep the joints in proper alignment.
The best analogy for a ligament injury is socks and underwear. If you stretch out the elastic in your socks or underwear no matter what you do, they will fall down. Ligaments are the same. Once over stretched or torn, they can never hold a joint together properly again.
Soft tissue injuries are serious and never completely heal leading to future problems. Do not allow an insurance adjuster to perpetrate that fraud on you by saying your injury is not serious.
To have your injuries properly documented and treated call Dr Barry Marks car accident chiropractor at (714) 938-0575
Dr Marks’ bio: https://drbarrymarks.com/about
Dr. Marks’ podcast: http://audioboom.com/drbarrymarks
