Back & Neck Pain After a Car Accident in Memphis, TN
If you're waking up stiff, struggling to turn your head, or dealing with back pain that showed up days after your accident — your body is telling you something got knocked out of place. Dr. Matt Hayden specializes in diagnosing and treating the spinal injuries that car accidents leave behind — the ones that X-rays at the ER often miss and that painkillers can't fix.
What Is Post-Accident Back & Neck Pain
How Car Accidents Cause Back and Neck Pain
The sudden force of a collision — even a minor one — transfers directly through your spine. The impact can misalign vertebrae in the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine, compress or herniate discs, strain ligaments and muscles throughout the back and neck, and irritate or compress spinal nerves.
These injuries don't always produce immediate pain. Adrenaline suppresses the pain response, and inflammation builds gradually over 24–72 hours. By the time the pain hits, the structural damage is already established.
Why Symptoms May Be Delayed
Your body's fight-or-flight response floods your system with adrenaline and cortisol after a collision — masking pain that would otherwise be obvious. Meanwhile, inflammation cascades through the damaged tissue, swelling builds around compressed nerves, and muscles tighten to splint the injured area.
This is why you can walk away from an accident feeling "fine" and wake up three days later barely able to move. Delayed symptoms don't mean minor injuries. They mean your body's alarm system was temporarily overridden.
Symptoms
Back and neck pain following a car accident may include sharp or aching pain in the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine, stiffness and reduced range of motion in the neck or back, muscle spasms and tension, radiating pain into the arms or legs, numbness or tingling in the extremities, and headaches originating from the upper cervical spine.
Symptoms may appear immediately or develop over 24–72 hours — and in some cases, days or weeks later.
How We Treat It
Our Diagnostic Process
Dr. Hayden performs a thorough post-accident examination including postural analysis and spinal inspection, range of motion testing, neurological assessment for nerve involvement, X-rays or imaging review as clinically indicated, and a detailed injury report for your records, insurance, and legal documentation.
The goal is to identify every structural injury — not just the area that hurts the most.
Treatment Options
Based on your diagnosis, Dr. Hayden builds a corrective plan that may include:​
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Chiropractic adjustments — restoring spinal alignment disrupted by the collision
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Spinal decompression — relieving disc pressure from herniation or compression caused by impact
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SoftWave Therapy — regenerating soft tissue and reducing inflammation at the cellular level
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Laser therapy — accelerating healing in damaged muscles, ligaments, and joints
Why Choose Us
Dr. Hayden has been treating auto accident injuries in downtown Memphis since 2006. He understands both the medical and documentation demands of accident injury cases — providing thorough diagnosis, multi-modal treatment, and detailed records for insurance and legal use.
Patients come to us when the ER sent them home with painkillers and no answers. We find what's structurally wrong and fix it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my back hurt days after an accident?
Adrenaline masks pain immediately after a collision. As it wears off and inflammation builds, structural injuries like spinal misalignment, disc compression, and soft tissue damage become painful. Delayed onset doesn't mean minor injury.
Can a minor accident cause back pain?
Yes. Collisions at speeds as low as 5 mph generate enough force to misalign vertebrae, strain soft tissue, and compress discs. The severity of vehicle damage doesn't correlate to the severity of spinal injury.
How long does car accident back pain last?
Without treatment, it can become chronic. With proper chiropractic care, most patients see significant improvement within weeks — though the timeline depends on the type and severity of the injury.
Should I get X-rays after a car accident?
If you have any back or neck pain after a collision, imaging is important. Dr. Hayden will determine if X-rays are clinically indicated during your examination and will review any imaging you've already had.