Why Does My Knee Hurt After a Car Accident?
Knee pain after a car accident is a common injury that many people overlook immediately following a collision. While neck and back pain often receive the most attention, the knees absorb significant force during an accident and can suffer injuries that become painful hours or even days later. Therefore, it is important to have persistent knee pain evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Even a low-speed crash can place stress on the knee joint, surrounding muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. As a result, untreated injuries may continue to affect walking, climbing stairs, exercising, and everyday activities.
What Causes Knee Pain After a Car Accident?
Several different injuries may contribute to knee pain following a collision. Consequently, identifying the underlying cause is the first step toward creating an appropriate treatment plan.
Common causes of knee pain after a car accident include:
- Ligament sprains
- Muscle strains
- Meniscus injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Tendon irritation
- Joint inflammation
- Dashboard impact injuries
Furthermore, patients often experience more than one injury at the same time, making a thorough evaluation especially important.
What Is a Dashboard Knee Injury?
A dashboard knee injury occurs when the knee strikes the dashboard during a collision. Although seat belts help protect occupants from more serious injuries, the impact can still place significant force on the knee joint.
Depending on the severity of the collision, patients may develop bruising, swelling, ligament injuries, cartilage damage, or persistent pain. Therefore, knee pain that begins after striking the dashboard should not be ignored.
Why Does Knee Pain Sometimes Appear Later?
Many people feel relatively normal immediately after a car accident. However, adrenaline and stress hormones can temporarily reduce the body’s perception of pain.
Meanwhile, inflammation continues to develop within the injured tissues. Consequently, knee pain, stiffness, and swelling may not become noticeable until several hours or even days after the collision.
Symptoms That May Require Professional Evaluation
Although mild soreness may improve over time, certain symptoms deserve prompt medical evaluation.
You should schedule an evaluation if you experience:
- Persistent knee pain
- Difficulty walking
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Clicking or catching sensations
- Instability while standing
- Difficulty climbing stairs
- Pain that continues to worsen
Can Other Injuries Cause Knee Pain?
Yes. Car accidents frequently injure multiple parts of the body at once. For example, patients experiencing knee pain may also develop lower back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, or headaches.
If you are experiencing ongoing knee discomfort, visit our Knee Pain Treatment page to learn more about available treatment options.
If your injuries resulted from a motor vehicle accident, you may also benefit from learning more about our Personal Injury Chiropractic Care services.
How Chiropractic Care May Help
Depending on your condition, chiropractic care may help improve movement, reduce joint restrictions, and support your body’s natural recovery process. Additionally, treatment may include soft tissue therapy, rehabilitation exercises, stretching, and movement education designed to restore function safely.
Patients experiencing lower back pain in addition to knee pain may also benefit from our Lumbar Sprain and Strain Treatment services.
Why Choose Ollet Chiropractic?
At Ollet Chiropractic, we help patients recover from knee injuries, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, whiplash injuries, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Moreover, every treatment plan is personalized according to each patient’s symptoms and recovery goals.
Learn more about our practice by visiting our About Us page or reviewing our Accepted Insurances page.
Schedule an Evaluation Today
If knee pain after a car accident is limiting your mobility or affecting your daily activities, do not wait for symptoms to become more severe. Instead, schedule a professional evaluation to identify the source of your pain and begin an appropriate treatment plan.