A Timeline for Pain After an Auto Accident

When you experience pain after an auto accident, it can disrupt your life. It’s understandable to wonder when your life can return to normal. However, every car accident is different. Your experience will be unique to you, and so will your pain. There is no “normal” way to feel pain. With that said, there is still an average timeline you can compare your experience to so you can expect when to recover or know when to seek care.

When Will the Pain First Appear?

Pain may not appear right away after your accident, even if you’re injured. In a traumatic event, shock and adrenaline prevent your body from feeling the symptoms. You may not notice your pain until an hour later, the next day, or up to a couple of weeks. The degree you experience your symptoms will depend on the severity of your injuries and your response to pain. If you have any questions or concerns about your pain after your accident, don’t hesitate to reach out to a medical professional, physical therapist, or chiropractor.

Average Duration of Pain After an Auto Accident

Once you start to feel pain after an auto accident, it can quickly become uncomfortable, but in most cases, it’s only a matter of time until you recover. How long your recovery takes depends on the injury you have. To gather a sense of what that means for you, take a look at the most common car accident injuries and how long it takes to recover from them.

General Soreness

Headaches and muscle soreness can be expected to last for up to six weeks after a car accident.

Whiplash

Minor soft tissue damage can often resolve itself after a few days, but if it’s more severe, it may take longer. Without treatment, whiplash could become chronic.

Sprains and Strains

Most muscle strains and sprains should heal anywhere between six to eight weeks.

Broken Bones

For minor broken bones, they generally take six weeks to heal, but can take up to three months for severe breaks.

Cuts and Scrapes

If your cuts are superficial, then they may heal within seven days. For deeper cuts, they could need a month or two to heal completely. Seek medical care if your wounds refuse to heal or they show signs of infection.

Burns

Minor burns may need ten days to a couple of weeks to heal, but more serious burns need up to a month.

When to Seek Care

Sometimes, it can be difficult to determine if your pain is minor or a sign of something more severe. For your safety, no matter the degree of your pain after an auto accident, you should seek care within fourteen days if you are injured, especially if it worsens, won’t go away, or interferes with your day-to-day life. As you recover, keep a watch for the following symptoms and contact a medical professional if any of the mentioned symptoms happen to you.

Signs of infection
Fever
Sleep disruption
Worsening pain
Injuries that refuse to heal
Loss of function
Mood changes
Disrupting your day-to-day activities

During this time, you may also experience other symptoms from your injuries. If you notice other symptoms that are out of the ordinary or changes to your normal behavior, let your healthcare professional know.

Supporting Your Recovery

Sometimes, even when the pain goes away, you still may not be fully recovered. If you still have difficulty returning to your normal routine, you can work with a medical team, physical therapist, or seek chiropractic care to ensure your symptoms are completely treated. This will help you target and treat residual pain, improve your function, and provide the guidance you need to move forward.

Regain Your Quality of Life

Pain can feel like an isolating experience, but you’re not alone. At Essential Chirocare and Physical Therapy, we offer the treatment you need to recover from your injuries and regain the quality of life you deserve. Our team has the expertise you depend on to support and guide you through this uncertain time. If you still have questions about your recovery, download our Ebook to learn more about the pain after an auto accident.