Chiropractic Care After an Auto Accident
You’ve been in a car accident. It’s a shocking, nerve-rattling, and – in the worst cases – potentially life-altering event. Even minor accidents, at speeds of 10 to 15 miles per hour, can cause neck and spine injuries that you may not feel until weeks or months later. Without help in treating these auto injuries, you could face long-lasting pain and reduced mobility.
Let’s look at possible injuries to your neck, what you should do after a car accident, and how chiropractic care can help.
Whiplash
You don’t need to be in a high-speed accident to suffer whiplash. Any sudden change in speed can cause it. Some whiplash-related injuries are quickly apparent, such as blurred vision, arm and shoulder pain, headaches, and dizziness. Whiplash can also result in more serious injuries, such as disc damage, yet they might appear at first to be stiff or sore muscles.
After the Impact: What to Do
Obviously, you should go to the emergency room if you’re feeling any pain after the accident. Pain is the body’s way of telling us something isn’t right. Just because you might not have visible bruises or cuts doesn’t mean you escaped injury.
Also, keep in mind that while your body is held relatively in place by a seat belt, your head and neck are not. Even soft tissue injuries, if untreated, can lead to chronic pain and arthritis. Whether you feel any pain or not, it’s best to schedule a visit to a chiropractor as soon as possible for auto injury treatment. Your chiropractor is specially trained in dealing with a variety of accident-related injuries to the neck and spine.
There are financial reasons for this, too: Insurance companies often have deadlines for filing claims after an auto accident. If you wait weeks to seek treatment, your insurance company might not provide coverage for it.
Auto Injury Treatment: Your Chiropractor’s Plan
When you first see your chiropractor after the accident, you’ll be asked a lot of questions about the event and your degree of discomfort. Your chiropractor will put together a diagnosis based on orthopedic and neurological tests, and possibly x-rays, to determine whether you’re suffering from soft tissue damage or any structural injury, such as a herniated disc.
Next, the chiropractor will lay out a plan for your auto injury treatment. The plan could include a series of chiropractic adjustments, exercises, rest, and cold packs (to reduce inflammation). Massage therapy can also aid the healing process.
On the Road Again
Following your chiropractor’s plan for auto injury treatment is the best way to allow your body to heal. If you have any questions about chiropractic care for car accident, please call us at (407) 851-0980.
Posted In:
Auto Injury
Back Pain
Chiropractic