Have you or a loved one sustained injuries in a car accident? Have you taken the steps needed to ensure that you receive the level and quality of care that will lead to a total recovery? In many cases, you should seriously consider a visit to an experienced chiropractor – someone who understands the alignment of your musculoskeletal system from top to bottom.
When accident victims suffer serious head, neck or back injuries, most will go with first responders to the emergency room and get the medical help they need. Other accident victims, grateful to have escaped more serious injuries, frequently refuse medical help at the scene of the accident. What these victims may not realize is that numerous injuries, especially soft-tissue injuries impacting the back and neck, often don’t make themselves known until several hours or even days after the crash.
In fact, the most common car crash injury is whiplash. Did you know that whiplash often occurs in crashes that take place at relatively low speeds and where the vehicles sustain minor damage? These are just the kind of injuries that, left untreated, can lead to chronic, nagging back and neck pain for years to come.
So, if you’re in a car crash, what should you do?
- Seek medical help, either from the local emergency room or from your primary care doctor within a day or two of your accident.
- In most cases, those professionals will take x-rays to discern the severity of your injuries.
- Make an appointment with a chiropractic professional, share your x-rays with them and get their assessment of your injuries.
Why visit a chiropractor?
- Reduces Inflammation. Chiropractic treatments can help reduce inflammation quickly and without medication.
- Lessens pain. During a chiropractic manipulation, your body naturally releases pain-relieving hormones.
- Increases Range of Motion. It’s easy to lose flexibility and motion after an accident. A chiropractic adjustment often helps move your joints back into alignment, giving you more freedom to move your back and neck.
- Curbs scar tissue. When muscles or tendons are injured, your body naturally forms scar tissue to protect them, but the scar tissue can trigger pain and stiffness. A chiropractor can use procedures that help break the scar tissue and allow you to heal more quickly.
- Avoids surgery. In most cases, your non-invasive treatments will mean that there is no need for surgery or for painkiller prescriptions.
There are many options to explore regarding care for auto accident injuries, as a professional, like a car accident chiropractor in Silver Spring, MD, from a treatment center like AmeriWell Clinics, can explain.