Auto Accident Care

Auto Accident Care 

Many injuries sustained from being involved in a car accident are classified as “soft tissue” meaning that no bones are broken or internal injuries were suffered. Some patients go to the hospital where x-rays and/or CT scans are taken and they are told nothing is broken, given a medication, and released to follow up with a primary care provider.

Whiplash: An injury to the cervical spine, or neck, occurs when the muscles and other soft tissues are hyper-flexed and hyper-extended.

Symptoms from a soft tissue injury may not show up until days or weeks after the accident, a thorough chiropractic examination may identify a soft tissue injury prior to experiencing the severity of the associated pain symptoms. Soft tissue injuries may benefit from chiropractic therapy to assist the joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerve tissues to heal and repair more effectively and efficiently. Solely taking pain medicines are not always the answer; they may assist to reduce pain symptoms, but do not contribute to the healing of injured soft tissues. Pain changes how a body moves, therefore after the initial pain improves, the body may adapt to moving differently. Unless normal motion is restored, body motion will be unbalanced. Left untreated, the body adapts to the unbalanced pattern of motion, creating a chronic problem. This does not mean you should not take medications for acute pain relief, it is just a part of the injury rehabilitation process. Our recommendation is to look at the healing process and co-manage the injuries with physical rehabilitation treatments as well doctor-prescribed medications. Doctors of Chiropractic consider a person as an integrated being, giving special attention to the spine, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. Chiropractic is a natural health care method that stresses the importance of keeping the body functioning efficiently, not just covering up the pain.

Signs and Symptoms of Whiplash: People who experience whiplash may develop one or more of the following symptoms, usually within the first few days after the accident:

  • Neck pain and stiffness
  • Headaches
  • Pain in the shoulder or between the shoulder blades
  • Jaw pain
  • Pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand
  • Dizziness
  • Ringing in the ears or blurred vision
  • Difficulty concentrating or remembering
  • Irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue

If you have been in an auto accident and experience any of the above signs and/or symptoms please call our office immediately for an  over-the-phone consultation.

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