Why Some Auto Accident Injuries Lead to Chronic Nerve Pain

Millions of Americans are involved in auto accidents each year. The crashes happen in an instant, and they can result in a wide range of injuries, from minor bruises to serious trauma.

While many auto accident injuries heal with time, others can lead to long-term complications, like chronic nerve pain, that continue to affect your quality of life long after the initial injury heals.

If you've been in an auto accident and you’re experiencing lingering pain, Hui Kang, MD, and our team at Houston Pain Specialists are here to help. Here’s why some auto accident injuries cause ongoing nerve pain, what symptoms to watch for, and how you can find relief.

Common auto accident injuries that affect your nerves

Auto accidents often injure the spine, whether it’s your neck or your back. Your spine houses your body’s central and peripheral nerves, and an injury can damage or compress nerves and leave you with lingering discomfort.

Some of the most common injuries that can contribute to nerve pain include:

• Whiplash, which happens when a sudden jerking motion causes inflammation and nerve compression in your neck
• Herniated discs, which develop when the discs in your spine shift or rupture
• Spinal cord injuries (direct trauma to your spine)
• Pinched nerves, when soft tissue or bone presses on a nerve

Nerve pain varies depending on which nerves are affected and how severe your injury is. You might experience pain, tingling, stiffness, numbness, or burning sensations that are localized to your spine or radiate elsewhere in your body.

These injuries may not always cause severe pain immediately after an accident. In some cases, symptoms develop gradually as inflammation, scar tissue, or structural damage affects nerve function over time.

How an auto accident injury can lead to chronic nerve pain

Nerve pain, also known as neuropathic pain, happens when nerves are damaged or irritated. Unlike muscle pain, which usually subsides as tissues heal, nerve pain can persist long after an injury. 

This can happen for a few different reasons. First, inflammation and swelling can put pressure on nerves. And as your body heals, scar tissue may form that entraps or compresses nerves, causing pain that worsens with time.

Nerve damage from severe stretching or compression that occurred during the accident may not heal properly. Over time, repeated pain signals can make your nervous system overly sensitive, so even normal sensations may be painful.

Symptoms of chronic nerve pain after an auto accident

If you’ve been in a car accident and your pain isn’t going away, you may be experiencing chronic nerve pain. Some common symptoms include:

• Burning or tingling sensations
• Sharp, shooting pain that radiates to your arms or legs
• Muscle weakness or numbness
• Sensitivity to touch or temperature changes
• Persistent pain despite rest and medication

If you’re struggling with ongoing pain after an auto accident, seeking specialized treatment can help you manage your discomfort and prevent long-term complications.

How we treat auto accident injuries

At Houston Pain Specialists, we offer comprehensive care to diagnose and treat nerve pain. We start by assessing your health and discussing your symptoms. Dr. Kang and our team may recommend additional testing to pinpoint the cause of your pain, then we develop a plan to address it.

Medication management — including anti-inflammatory drugs, nerve pain medications, and muscle relaxers — can help you get your symptoms under control. Then, we focus on restoring your well-being.

Targeted exercises and stretches in physical therapy can improve your mobility and reduce nerve compression. We also offer interventional pain management options, like nerve blocks, epidural injections, and radiofrequency ablation to relieve pain.

If conservative treatments don’t provide relief, you might be a good candidate for a more advanced procedure, like spinal cord stimulation, for longer-lasting pain relief.

Chronic nerve pain doesn’t have to control your life. If you're still experiencing discomfort after an auto accident, contact us at Houston Pain Specialists to explore treatment options and start your journey toward a life with less pain. Call our Houston, Texas, office at 713-664-2662 to learn more.