As chiropractors, one of the most common things that we help people with is recovery from a vehicle collision. The impact of a car crash can be devastating, and if not properly treated, the long-term effects can not only leave a person with pain, discomfort, and poor mobility for years, but perhaps, even more importantly, the early onset of degenerative joint disease, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. These conditions will occur even with soft tissue injuries, which are frequently overlooked.
Chiropractic care is the recommended treatment of choice for those injured in a motor vehicle accident because it alleviates pain, brings the spine back into proper alignment, restores the proper function and movement of the spine, and eliminates or greatly reduces the development of degenerative changes which commonly take place after whiplash or other accident-related injuries.
Today, let’s explore how a car crash can affect your body, and how chiropractic care is the answer.
Assessing the damage
Some people experience pain immediately following a crash, while others feel pain in the days, weeks, or even months that follow.
If you suspect that your injuries are LIFE THREATENING, have sustained head trauma, or you suspect you have any broken bones, your first step is to go to the emergency room where these issues can be addressed. You must keep in mind if the hospital tells you that you are fine, that does not mean that you were not injured. What that means, is that your injuries are not life-threatening. Your next step is to book a visit with a chiropractor to assess the damage to your body.
It is vitally important that you schedule an appointment, within 14 days of the accident, to be evaluated by a chiropractor, even if you feel perfectly fine. Florida law mandates that you must be evaluated within 14 days of the accident or you will not have access to your auto insurance benefits to cover any medical care that will be required to treat the injuries that occur as a result of a motor vehicle accident.
Chiropractors perform x-rays, orthopedic examinations, and neurological examinations to assess any structural damage, or soft tissue damage, and to examine muscle strength, range of motion, joint and nerve function. Your chiropractor will order the appropriate tests and will search for indications of injury that other medical practitioners may not find. Most primary care or family doctors have little to no training in evaluating and treating patients that have been injured as a result of motor vehicle accidents or car crashes. In fact, most primary care doctors refuse to treat patients that have been injured in car accidents.
What kind of impact can a car crash have on your body?
A car accident can be an extremely stressful event for the mind and body, and even smaller collisions in the car can lead to injury that might not be immediately apparent.
Often, a vehicle accident can lead to soft tissue damage, whiplash, back problems, stiffness, and pain. Let’s look at common injuries that often result from a car crash.
- Whiplash
This common back, neck, and shoulder injury usually occurs when there is a sudden impact or harsh braking involved.
- Muscles, ligaments, nerves, and facet joints
If a car crash affects the muscles, facet joints, ligaments, or nerves in your back or neck, you’ll experience a lot of pain.
- Herniated or bulging discs
The intervertebral discs are the soft, spongy cushions between the bones of your spine that absorb impacts and allow us to bend and twist. The sudden impact of a car crash can cause a disc to push out of its usual position, triggering pain and limiting mobility. Sometimes this disc will rupture and irritate surrounding nerves.
Can a chiropractor help with your recovery?
Yes, we can definitely help.
As chiropractors, we have tools and techniques to realign individual vertebrae and restore proper joint function and flexibility following a car collision.
We will assess, diagnose and manage your injuries. We can restore health to your spine, surrounding muscles, and tissue, and treat any disc herniations, subluxations, sprains, and strains.
Here’s the good news: chiropractic treatment requires no medications, reduces inflammation and pain, restores proper mobility, and restores the proper function of the spine and nervous system. It prevents future back pain by minimizing the formation of scar tissue.
Getting you back to yourself
Getting you pain-free and fully mobile is our goal.
We will start your recovery journey with a complete orthopedic, neurologic, and chiropractic examination, as well as any x-ray studies that are necessary to fully assess your condition in order to fully understand the nature and severity of the injuries to your spine. This means that we will address the root cause of the pain.
After this, we will create a treatment plan, which may include cervical, thoracic, and lumbar adjustments as well as physiotherapy. We will have you back to yourself in no time.
Dr. Albert E Andrion, Dr. Doug Reitz, and their dedicated team at Suncoast Chiropractic Clinic are experts in helping people recover from car crashes, and they know how to help you to feel your best. Both doctors have extensive experience in testifying as expert witnesses both in deposition and in the courtroom environment. They can also assist you in finding excellent legal representation.
Get in touch to book a visit.