We all know that broken bones are common car accident injuries. After all, when two or more multi-ton vehicles ram into each other, a natural result is the braking of bones for those inside those vehicles. However, there is this pervasive idea that, after Missoula, Montana, car crashes, we can tell if we need medical attention. If you can move your arms and legs, well they must not be broken. Right? Wrong. Just because you do not feel pain, and you can move your arms and legs does not mean that they are not broken.
Top signs of a broken bone
Surprisingly, the top three signs of a broken bone do not include an inability to move your appendage because, sometimes, you can move a broken arm or leg. The top three signs are deformities, pain and swelling. Of course, if you can see a bone through your skin, if you heard an audible snap or if you felt a physical snap, you likely have a broken bone.
At least you will feel it, right?
Nope, not necessarily. Keep in mind, pain may not be immediate due to shock and adrenalin. There are stories of skiers who spend all day skiing, spending all day dancing and runners running entire marathons without even knowing they have broken legs or arms because they did not feel any pain. Some breaks are small enough or broken in such a way to not cause immediate discomfort.
There is an upside though
There is an upside to breaking your bones though. If you have your bone set by a medical professional, and it heals properly, once it heals, the bone is stronger post-break than pre-break. This is because an extra-strong, new bone forms around the fracture to protect the broken area, reinforcing the broken area, increasing its mass and density. This makes this bone much stronger than a normal bone. However, over time, the bone does return to normal, so the bone’s superpowers only last so long.
The key here is that, after a Missoula, Montana, car accident, you should be checked out by medical professionals. This could be the ambulance, the emergency room, your primary care doctor, etc. You never know the full extent of your injuries until then.