In most cases soft tissue injury will not have been caused by a car accident however there is a significant proportion that is a direct result of motor vehicle collisions. If you have been injured in a car accident and you want to make a compensation claim for personal injury and loss just complete the contact form, email our lawyers offices or use the solicitors helpline. Our soft tissue injury solicitors offer advice at no cost and without further obligation. If our soft tissue injury solicitors deal with your claim it will be on a no win no fee basis, compensation is paid in full and you do not have to fund or finance your car accident compensation claim.
Soft tissue injuries are among the most common injuries you can get. They are common in motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries and overuse injuries. Everyday activities can contribute to your getting a soft tissue injury. Common soft tissue injuries include strains of muscles, sprains of ligaments, contusions (bruises), tendonitis, stress injuries and bursitis. A sudden twist, fall or blow to the body can cause almost all of these soft tissue injuries and using a joint or muscle too much can contribute to other of these injuries. The result can be pain and injury to a soft tissue of the body.
Let's look at some of these types of soft tissue injuries. Sprains for example, happen when you twist or bend a joint in such a way as to damage the ligaments supporting the joint. Ligaments are normally strong bands of connective tissue that connect bone to other bone at a joint. In a sprain, you can stretch or tear the ligaments of the joint. Commonly sprained areas are the ankles, wrists and knees. You can sprain your ankle when you suddenly twist your ankle inward, such as if you step wrong on the foot. This is called an inversion injury. A knee sprain can occur when you twist your knee in a position it was not intended to twist. A wrist sprain happens when you fall on your outstretched hand and damage the ligaments.
Sprains are best treated with the RICE protocol, which stands for rest of the affected area, ice to the joint, compression of the joint and elevation of the joint.
Strains are slightly different from sprains. They occur most likely from injury to the tendons and muscles that are around a joint or on an extremity or back. Sprains may stretch or tear the ligament and can be mild or severe. The treatment is the same as for a sprain. You need to rest the affected muscle and ligament, apply ice, compress the muscle and ligament and elevate the affected joint. If serious, the joint tendons may need surgical repair.
Contusions are bruises of soft tissue, such as fatty tissue, connective tissue, ligaments, tendons and muscles. It is caused by a direct blow to the affected area and results in a black and blue mark where the direct blow was caused. Most contusions are mild and respond well to rest, ice, compression and elevation. If a contusion is severe, it can form a haematoma beneath the skin and can may need local heat in order to dissolve the haematoma.
Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon due usually to overuse of the joint involved with the tendon. You can see redness, heat, swelling and pain to the affected tendon. Pain can be localized or can radiate up the muscle affected. Small stresses to the tendon add up to form the tendonitis. It is common in athletes, such as pitchers, swimmers, golfers and tennis players, who get tendonitis of the shoulder, elbow or wrist. Soccer players, runners, basketball players and dancers get tendonitis of the feet and legs most commonly. The treatment of tendonitis includes rest to eliminate movement about the joint, anti-inflammatory medication, injections of steroids if indicated, splinting the joint and doing rehabilitation exercises.
Bursitis is inflammation of small sacs of lubricating fluid that surround a joint. Bursas are present in order to keep the movement of the joint bone and a ligament or tendon. If there is overuse of the joint, the bursa can become inflamed and can cause pain, redness and swelling of a specific point around the joint. It can mimic a ligamentous or tendon injury. It is common in the elbow, shoulder, hip, knee or ankle and can be associated with tendonitis at the same time. It can be treated with rest and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications or by injecting steroids into the bursa to immediately attack the inflammation.
Stress fractures can occur with overuse of the bone so that it cracks along a line in the weakest point of the joint. It is called a stress fracture or shin splint, if it occurs in the middle tibia. It causes pain, swelling and disability when trying to walk on the affected joint. Routine x-rays do not often show up the injury and it must be seen on an MRI exam or bone scan. The foot and tibia are the most common bones to be affected with stress fractures. The treatment is rest, immobilization in a cast if severe and surgery, if very severe.
If you have suffered physically, mentally or financially, you should consider making an accident compensation claim. For free telephone advice from specialist personal injury solicitors just call the helpline. Our soft tissue injury solicitors will assess the strength of your claim and will advise you on your potential award of compensation without any further obligation.
LAWYER HELPLINE: ☎ 1800 339 958The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here