Auto Accidents & Chiropractic

Consulting a chiropractor following an automobile accident is always a smart choice. A chiropractor can treat neck injuries/whiplash, back injuries, extremity injuries and headaches. They are also able to help reduce the muscle spasms and soft tissue injuries that almost always occur after a car accident.

The first step in healing after an auto accident is to realize that you need to see a chiropractor to help ease your pain and injuries, even if they appear days after your accident. They are the best able to diagnose your injuries through a thorough examination and provide the most corrective treatment to help you heal.  Waiting too long to seek care after an accident could be costly to your spine and nervous system.

Over the last several years, research has shown that injuries can and do occur in low impact collisions. The most common injury is whiplash (or neck injuries). Whiplash was discovered to occur in sudden changes of speed of only 2.5 miles per hour, with minor back injuries also occurring. Just because your accident was at a slower speed does not mean damage to the spine and nervous system could not have occurred.

The human body is not able to withstand damage at any speed, unlike your vehicle. When a vehicle doesn’t absorb the force of the crash, the passengers of the vehicle does, leading to many forms of neck, back and spinal injuries. Often times, injuries sustained during an auto accident cannot be seen externally, such as soft tissue injuries (injuries to muscles, ligaments and discs) and can heal with scar tissue, which can ache years later. Furthermore, damage to the spine can lead to recurring headaches, neck pain, stiffness, chronic muscle tension and spasms, lower back pain, spinal disc degeneration, inflamed arthritis, sore and tight muscles, poor posture, and greater chance of repeat injury later in life.

Delays in the onset of pain are also common. Joint injuries in auto accidents may cause post-traumatic osteoarthritis, which is a speeding up of the arthritis process and develops at an earlier age than in people who have not had traumas relating to automobile accidents.

Visiting a chiropractor after an auto accident injury is a step in the right direction towards diagnosing problems arising from car accidents. They can determine how much damage your body has sustained and recommend treatment necessary for a full recovery.