The most common soft tissue injuries that occur are those to the muscles, tendons and ligaments. Some might expect that to sustain a soft tissue injury as the result of an accident you must be involved in a high-speed collision or a fall from a great height; this is not the case. Individuals can be involved in fender benders or slips that seem minor at the time that lead to major aches, pains and expenses down the road.

Because of this, it is important to know what types of soft tissue injuries exist, what commonly causes them, and what parts of your body they affect. Examples of soft tissue injuries include:

• Whiplash

Whiplash is an injury of the neck that occurs when your head is jerked violently backward and forward, such as in a rear-end car crash or fall. Whiplash often results in symptoms such as neck pain, stiffness, headaches, muscle tenderness particularly in the shoulders and back, fatigue, sleep problems, blurred vision, tinnitus, and more.

• Sprains

Sprains are caused by the tearing or stretching of a ligament, which connects two bones together, and are most often seen in the ankle, wrist, knee, and thumb. Sprains are quite common injuries in slip and fall cases as well as automobile or bicycle accidents. Sprains have three grades of severity ranging from mild to severe.

• Strains

Often confused with sprains, strains are caused by the tearing or stretching of a tendon, which connects tissue to a muscle, or of the muscle itself. Legs, ankles, hands and elbows all are susceptible to acute and chronic strains.

• Contusions

Contusion is the medical term for a bruise, which occurs when a capillary or blood vessel is injured and leaks blood into the surrounding area, resulting in a hematoma, or collection of blood outside the vessel. Contusions can occur to muscle, skin tissue and bone and can develop quickly or over a period of several hours after an injury is sustained.

• Bursitis

Bursitis is the irritation or swelling of the bursa, a fluid-filled sack located between a bone and the tendon or muscle that serves to cushion joints. Bursitis is most likely to occur in the elbow, shoulder, knee, hip, heel or big toe. Though often the result of overuse, bursitis also can occur as the result of an injury such as a fall, vehicular accident or trauma to the joints.

• Tendonitis

Tendonitis, sometimes spelled tendinitis, is caused by the inflammation of a tendon. When the covering of a tendon, or its sheath, is inflamed, this is referred to as tenosynovitis. Often the two can occur together and can be the result of a sudden injury or trauma.

• Tears

Also referred to as ruptures, tears can occur in tendons or muscles and can be complete or partial.

• Hernias

Hernias are defined as when “an organ pushes through an opening in the muscle or tissue that holds it in place” and often involve the abdomen. Hernias can occur as the result of an injury or as the result of surgery. Though rarer, hernias called traumatic abdominal wall hernias can occur from accidents involving motor vehicles, bikes and even animals and have occurred in both adults and children.