Why it hurts more the day after a car accident: you're not faking it

Key points in 30 seconds

1. Pain that starts the day after the accident is the normal course of this injury. You're not faking it.
2. In a collision, what gets hurt isn't bone but the muscles, ligaments and tissue around the joints, so the pain really sets in a day or two later, when inflammation builds up.
3. On top of that, the shock and tension on the day of the accident mask the pain.
4. "Nothing wrong with the bones" is true and important, but it's only half the story. An X-ray is a test that looks at bone.
5. However, if your arm feels weak or tingles, don't just put up with it. Getting it checked comes first.

What we often hear

• "I was fine yesterday, but today I can't turn my neck."
• "I worry people will think I'm faking if I say it hurts a day later."
• "Only the bumper got scratched. Is that enough reason to see a doctor?"
• "The ER just told me there was nothing wrong with my bones and sent me home."

You had an accident yesterday. It wasn't a big one. The bumper got scratched, you asked each other if you were okay, and went your separate ways.

But this morning you can't turn your neck. Your shoulders feel like stone, and by the afternoon a headache comes on too. You were definitely fine yesterday. Then a strange thought creeps in: if I say it hurts a day later, will people think I'm faking?

You can let go of that thought right now. Pain that starts a day or two later is the normal course of this kind of injury.

The reason lies in where the injury happens. At the moment of impact, the neck snaps back and forth sharply, like a whip. What gets hurt then isn't bone but the muscles, ligaments and the tissue around the joints. With this kind of injury, the pain really sets in not at the moment of injury but a day or two later, as inflammation builds up. And one more thing adds to it. On the day of the accident, you're shaken and tense, so you don't feel the pain well. It's only the next morning, once your body has calmed down, that the injury starts to speak up.

You may have been told at the ER that there's nothing wrong with your bones. That's true, and it's important. But it's only half the story. An X-ray is a test that looks at bone, and the soft tissue, which is the main site of a whiplash injury, doesn't show up in that picture. A normal result doesn't mean there's no injury. It means a bone injury has been ruled out.

So will it pass if you just put up with it? Not necessarily. A review of studies found that close to half of people still had neck pain a year after the accident. But it also points to something else: most recovery happens within the first 3 months. Put those two together and you can see what to do now. Not putting up with it and waiting, but making good use of this period, when recovery is most active. How to divide up those 3 months is covered separately.

Some things come first. If your arm feels weak or tingles, or the feeling in it is off, or if the middle of your neck hurt badly right after the accident, don't just put up with it. When we see signs like these, we too put a check at the radiology clinic on the 2nd floor of the same building, or a referral to the care you need, ahead of treatment.

If you come in today, here's what we do

We measure where and how much it hurts right now, and how far your neck can turn, to set a starting point. We also ask about headaches, dizziness, and sleep. Then we work on the pain and inflammation with acupuncture and pharmacopuncture, and use Chuna (Korean manual therapy) to ease the misalignment and get your stiffening neck moving again. In clinical trials in the acute stage, combining acupuncture with movement has been reported to speed up recovery.

For car accident care, Korean auto insurance covers acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, Chuna and herbal medicine. Even if you don't have a claim number, we'll guide you through the process from the start. It's all laid out in Car accident aftercare.

A day when you don't have to turn your whole body to check the mirror from the driver's seat. When the accident becomes just something that happened, not something that hurts. That return is what we aim for. How long it takes varies from person to person, depending on the kind of accident and how bad the pain was at first. But one thing is certain: right now, the window for recovery is open.

If you had an accident yesterday and started hurting today, that's not faking. It's a signal.

For questions or appointments, message us in English through the messenger at the bottom right of the page, or call +82-53-716-1175.

The original references for studies on the course of whiplash injury and treatment trials are in the director's column After a car accident: your tests are normal, but it hurts.