No matter how careful you are on the roads, you might still suffer from car accidents due to the recklessness of other drivers, circumstances beyond your control, and poor weather conditions. Some car accident injuries are short-term and easy to recover from, while others require years of therapy and chiropractic adjustments to heal. Here are some injuries that an experienced car accident chiropractor can help treat:
Whiplash Injuries
A whiplash injury occurs due to a vehicle crash that forces your head to move in an unexpected and unnatural motion. This movement leads to the tearing of fine muscles in the upper back and neck and may cause herniation and dislocation on the upper cervical spine.
A sore and stiff neck are the common symptoms of whiplash. Neck-related symptoms and whiplash from car accidents leave patients with more significant problems if not checked on time. This is because the upper back and neck muscles suffer inflammation and swelling. These symptoms make the area sensitive to touch or move in any direction.
Back Pain
Back pain, notably lower back pain, is a common complaint and symptom that occurs in at least 90% of car accident victims. Unfortunately, these injuries do not resolve on their own but instead require proper rehabilitation and treatment. Moreover, back pain could be an indicator of a bigger problem, such as a herniated disc.
A trained chiropractor will diagnose the cause of your pain and offer natural pain relief using the latest technology and the most effective chiropractic care practices. A chiropractor will correct all back problems and help eliminate inflammation, a significant cause of lower back pain.
Neck and Shoulder Pain
The human body is sensitive and fragile. This is why head, shoulder, and neck-related injuries occur easily, as these parts can be injured by an accident whose car speed is as low as five mph. The result is debilitating movement, stiffness, and pain that prevents people from conducting their daily routines and tasks. If not attended to, the symptoms might escalate to migraines, headaches, and radiating shoulder pain.
In this case, a chiropractor will provide integrated therapy for neck and shoulder pain. These may include chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, rehabilitation and exercises, and other specialized chiropractic treatments depending on the location of pain and degree of injury.
Knee Pain
Car accidents are sudden and unexpected. Most car occupants injure their knees due to striking against the seats, the dashboard, or other items in the car. Most knee injuries cause ligament pain, affect the kneecap and cause other long-term knee injuries that require physical therapy and continuous treatment to heal the damage. If not tendered on time, knee injuries will cause long-term difficulty and pain while running, walking, or standing up from a sitting position. Before considering invasive knee surgery, seek chiropractic treatment that alters your knee joints, ligaments and muscles, to return them to their original form.
Spine Injuries
This is the most severe type of injury that results from a car accident. They are often characterized by spine misalignment and herniated discs that might render a patient immobile, thus affecting their daily life. Unfortunately, spine injuries affect a wide area of the body, including the pelvic area, thoracic area, and lumbar region. If not well taken care of, spine injuries might result in permanent disability and, in some cases, death.
Most spine treatments involve the use of bracing and alignment chiropractic techniques to correct the spine position without interfering or causing pain to other parts of the body. Due to its sensitive nature, spine surgery should be avoided at all costs.
Chest Pains
Accident-related chest pains occur due to many reasons, with the most common being bruises and injuries from seat belts and airbags. These protective devices are meant to minimize the impact, thus preventing the occurrence of more life-threatening effects that come with car accidents. They might, however, cause minor bruises and pain in an accident.
Another common and more severe injury resulting in chest pain is fractured or cracked ribs and punctures that cause discomfort. The type of chiropractic treatment therapy used in chest pains depends on the cause and magnitude of the injury.
If you have suffered a car accident, schedule an immediate consultation with a chiropractor. Similar to any other form of treatment, the earlier, the better. While recovering from an accident may take time, walking with a chiropractor will make it easier and more bearable.
