Chiropractic isn’t just for regular adjustments or fixing scoliosis–it’s also an important aspect to motor vehicle accident recovery. Since auto accidents typically impact or injure your muscles, joints and ligaments, chiropractic care is a great option to help decrease your pain and inflammation and restore your range of motion, if diminished. Nerves, discs and ligaments, or even your brain can be impacted by the accident as well. The doctors at Shephard Chiropractic Clinic will focus on the realignment of your spine and neck, will treat the pain, and will work to restore the structure of your body in order to get your strength and your range of motion back–so you can get back to your regular activities.
In this blog, we’ll lay out how chiropractic care can help, what to watch for after an accident, and why documentation is key for getting the care you need.
Sometimes, an injury doesn’t seem all that bad. “I thought it would go away” or “I thought it would get better” are some of the most common phrases we hear in our office. After an auto accident, you’re always better safe than sorry–come in for a visit so we can give you an examination, to determine if any seemingly minor injuries could develop into something more serious, or even chronic. According to the Mayo Clinic regarding whiplash: “Some people continue to have pain for several months or years after the injury occurred.” Keep minor injuries minor, and have a chiropractor examine you at your first opportunity post-accident.
As with anything involving insurance, paperwork plays a big part. Documenting your care for insurance coverage and any settlements required is important. Showing that you’re proactive in obtaining care and keeping tabs on your health will show the insurance companies that you’re serious about your injuries. Establish your medical history, and seek chiropractic help quickly after your accident, even if you don’t feel any pain, since some injuries can take weeks or months to show up. The paper trail will help your case if anything more serious arises.
Still think you don’t need treatment? The most common untreated condition after a motor vehicle accident is whiplash. Every year, 3 million new whiplash injuries occur in the United States. Many of those who have had whiplash do not seek care, especially because symptoms can begin three months to one full year later after the accident.
Another common condition that occurs after a car crash is a concussion, which is a mild traumatic injury to the brain–the brain crashes against the skull. The symptoms may appear hours or days later, and there are three levels of severity when it comes to a concussion.
If this sounds complicated–it is. Your spine naturally curves near the top closer to your skull, along the cervical vertebrae. When that curve straightens due to the body creating its own kind of splint and stability, it leads to intense neck pain and a smaller or minimized range of motion than before.
Stiffness after an accident is to be expected. When your range of motion does not return, the doctors here at Shephard Chiropractic Clinic can help you get back on track. You can anticipate gentle adjustments using Arthrostim, if necessary, an exercise regimen made specifically for you, in line with your customized treatment plan.
After an accident, concussions, whiplash, and soft tissue injuries can be a significant source of pain. Neck aches and back aches are also commonly part of a patient’s discomfort after an auto accident. The doctors at Shephard Chiropractic Clinic are experienced in motor vehicle accident recovery, and are receptive to how you are feeling. Not every auto accident patient’s experience is the same, so their treatment plans will also be different. For pain management, 30-60 minutes of massage therapy at our offices can help relax and stretch the muscles that have been impacted by your accident.
If the patient can handle rehabilitation, massage, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment with the arthrostim, all of these tools and tactics can aid in pain reduction and relief. Every part of the treatment plan is tailored toward the patient, keeping his or her post-accident sensitivity in mind. Each and every treatment is done gently and precisely.
Because pain and damage from an auto accident aren’t always short-term problems, the doctors at Shephard Chiropractic aren’t interested in short-term solutions. Each treatment plan has a graduated method to begin treatment with sensitivity to help you manage pain while your body is sore from the accident trauma, and moves up to helping you understand the exercises that will aid your internal structure to return to normalcy.
The doctors at Shephard Chiropractic Clinic are experienced in auto accident cases, and work hard to treat more than your pain; the goal is to have you back to your pre-accident daily activities and lifestyle as soon as possible.
Call or contact us today to get back on track after your accident.
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