Dr. Ashraf Hanna is experienced in treating patients suffering from work injuries and car accidents. We welcome worker’s compensation patients. Our experienced doctors and medical staff works with your insurance company to make sure you receive the treatment you need.
Symptoms:
Often, car accidents and work injuries may not result in immediate pain. It is important to be seen by a doctor after any collision or work accident in case of internal injury or spine misalignment. As in most cases, early intervention can lead to a proper recovery.
Injuries:
Brain and Head Injuries
One of the most common and debilitating injuries suffered by drivers and passengers is an acquired brain injury caused by the head being hit or hitting an object violently (called a traumatic brain injury) . Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the extent of damage to the brain and the area effected. Even when there is no visible sign of trauma (i.e. cuts or bruises), the brain may have been jostled inside the skull due to the force of impact causing bruising, bleeding and swelling of the brain.
Neck Injuries
Another common form of injury from a car accident is neck injuries, which can occur in more mild forms such as whiplash and neck strain, to more serious injuries like cervical dislocation and disc injury.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The damage to the spinal cord is caused when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue, destroying axons, the part of our nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal cord often results in a loss of function or feeling.
Back Injuries
The lower back is the most common site of back injuries, including sprains and strains, herniated discs and fractured vertebrae. These injuries can cause pain and limit your mobility Sometimes the symptoms of even the most serious back injuries can take some time to show up after an accident. Unfortunately, back injury can cause long lasting pain and discomfort.
Facial Injuries
In a car accident, injuries to the face are common and can be caused by the steering wheel, dashboard, airbag, windshield, side window, car seats or shattered glass. These injuries range in severity from scrapes and bruises, to laceration and fractures, even serious disorders affecting the jaw and serious dental injuries.
Internal Injuries
The impact of a motor vehicle accident can cause internal injuries including, injuries to bowels, kidneys, the spleen, liver, lungs, heart or aorta. Fractured ribs are also quite common, causing puncture lungs and other internal organs. Internal injuries are life threatening and should be treated by a medical professional immediately.
Psychological Injuries
Motor vehicle accidents involving severe injuries and even loss of life, can result in drivers and passengers suffering short or long-term psychological injuries such as emotional distress, posttraumatic stress disorder, persistent anxiety and depression. These psychological injuries can affect every facet of a person’s life and have long-lasting effects.
Causes:
Lifting, falling, cutting and repetitive motion can all result in work related injury.
Risk Factors:
Those working in more physically demanding industries are at greater risk for getting a work related injury.
Testing:
Because the symptoms of work injuries are so broad, testing must be determined by a doctor in order to properly diagnose an injury.
Work Injury/ Car Accident Treatment Options:
There are a number of treatment options that help the painful symptoms following a work injury or a car accident, which include:
- Full Medical Exam
- Disability Evaluation
- Functional Capacity Evaluation
- Minimally invasive treatment options, such as Epidural Steroid Injection
- IV Ketamine Infusion
- Acupuncture
- Massage Therapy
- Maintenance Care (after care)
- Physical Therapy
- Chiropractic Care
