While an auto collision is a traumatic event and can result in significant damage to your vehicle, many people fail to acknowledge the physical strain such an event can have on the musculoskeletal system. In many instances, accident victims do not feel pain after the initial event because of the adrenaline and shock they experience. However, as our medical staff can attest, injuries are often present and will become noticeable in the days or even weeks following the accident, meaning it is advisable to schedule an appointment with a licensed and practiced chiropractor after a car accident.
Whether you plan on filing a claim or not, you will want to mitigate future problems by getting an examination as soon as possible. Soft tissue injuries are among the most common in vehicular accidents, especially fender benders, and they can take days or more to fully manifest. Having a record of your injury soon after the accident is best when suing, but it is also best for your health, as chiropractors can help lessen the effects of the injury on your daily routine.
Once you decide to commit to chiropractic therapy, there is the issue of how long recovery and treatment will take. Much of the timeline will depend on your injuries and commitment to treatment. However, there are several things to consider.
Importance of Seeing a Chiropractor After an Accident
For people who have held an aversion to chiropractic therapy, whether because of misinformed beliefs or negative past experiences, visiting a chiropractor in Newark, NJ, can seem odd or wasteful. However, a growing catalog of research supports chiropractic therapy’s efficacy, especially related to injuries commonly associated with auto accidents.
However, according to several studies, including information compiled and collected by the Canadian Chiropractic Association, the length of time a patient waits to seek treatment after an auto accident can have a direct correlation to their improvement level. Therefore, time, not only the type of injury, has an effect on the recovery and efficacy of chiropractic adjustments.
Common Injuries After an Auto Accident
When a patient visits a chiropractor after a car accident, there are several potential injuries they can be seeking treatment for, including headaches and nausea, which can occur as symptoms of other issues. While a chiropractor typically deals with musculoskeletal problems, the treatment usually reduces or eliminates symptomatic issues as well.
A doctor of chiropractic can help with a long list of injuries, but they typically fall into one of four categories: whiplash injuries, soft tissue, back, and arm or leg injuries. Each of these categories has several specific damages related to it. Still, knowing the categories is helpful when considering the importance of visiting a chiropractor after a car crash.
Neck Injury
Most patients visiting with one of our auto injury chiropractor specialists have sustained a whiplash injury. Whiplash is a type of neck injury, and it occurs because of sudden and forceful movement of the neck jerking backward and forward. It is a typical car accident injury.
The injury typically involves the muscles, tendons, discs, and nerves. People who experience whiplash can also experience several symptoms, including:
- Dizziness
- Stiffness
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Numbness in the hand and arm
- Blurred vision
- Concentration and memory issues
- Ringing in the ears
- Irritability
A chiropractor treats whiplash with a series of spinal manipulations and bodily movements. They will also prescribe home exercises to help with stiffness and mobility.
Soft Tissue Injury
When talking about soft tissue injuries after a car accident, you likely address acute injuries resulting from sudden trauma. A chiropractor in Newark, NJ, has likely dealt with several of these types of injuries, including sprains and strains.
Car accidents can force the body to shift, move, or contort in ways it is not meant to, resulting in soft tissue injuries. Chiropractors can treat these injuries by attempting to reset the body, relieving tension on nerves, muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
As with most injuries, recovery takes time. A chiropractor will be gentle, avoiding further damage and helping to reduce the pain. The strange thing is soft tissue injuries can cause pain in different areas of the body, and it is up to your chiropractor to find the root cause and address it.
Back Injury
More often than not, an individual schedules an appointment with a chiropractor after a car accident because of back pain. Car accidents can lead to several types of back and spinal injuries, including:
- Herniated discs
- Lumbar spine injuries
- Thoracic spine injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
The severity of the injury typically relates to the velocity of the impact. The type of injury will also determine if a chiropractor is best suited for treatment. However, as doctors of chiropractic will request imaging, there is no need to worry that your injury will worsen through treatment.
A qualified chiropractor only wants what is best for their patient, including recommending medical treatment when necessary. No chiropractor will perform spinal manipulations when there is a possibility of an existing spinal injury requiring medical intervention.
Arm and Leg Injuries
While car accidents can lead to several arm or leg injuries, including breaks and dislocations, many occurrences of such pain result from referred pain. When pain exists somewhere other than the origin point of an injury, medical professionals call it referred pain. For instance, a neck injury can lead to arm and wrist pain despite the actual injury being between the shoulders and the base of the skull.
When pain results from referred pain, chiropractors can often relieve the symptoms through spinal manipulations and adjustments. However, in some instances, a sprain or dislocation can cause discomfort, which chiropractors can also diagnose and treat.
The Specialty of Auto Injury Chiropractic Treatment
Soft tissue injuries and the musculoskeletal system are core pieces of chiropractic education. While their education makes it possible for any chiropractor to treat auto accident injuries, it is best to work with a doctor of chiropractic specializing in car accident injuries.
Like those working at Mount Prospect Health Center, specialists understand the significance of auto injuries. They also understand the importance of documentation should you want to sue the other driver later.
Consider this: specialties refer to expertise and experience. You wouldn’t work with a contract lawyer for a personal injury claim, so why would you work with a general practice doctor of chiropractic for auto accident injuries? The specialty makes the difference in care, treatment, and recovery.
Frequency of Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident
One of most patients’ first questions when visiting a chiropractor in Newark, NJ, is, “how many appointments are necessary?” Unfortunately, there is not a universal answer to that question. Every auto accident injury is unique, as is every treatment plan. Only you and your chosen chiropractor can determine the best frequency for your visits.
Is There Too Much of a Good Thing?
In general, a chiropractor should become a member of your healthcare team, meaning you should continue to see them throughout your life. While an accident might have caused your initial meeting, do not allow recovery to be the end of the relationship.
Immediately following an accident, you will likely need to visit a chiropractor several times per week. However, as the treatments progress, visits will become less frequent, likely once a week or even once per month. It all depends on your recovery and specific needs and recommendations.
When Should You Stop Treatment?
It would be best if you tried to make visiting a chiropractor in Newark, NJ, a part of your healthcare and wellness routine. Still, when it comes to a specific timeline involving recovery from your injuries, that depends on you and your body.
Your chiropractor will help you determine the length of your treatment. They will also help inform when therapy is no longer necessary. The process is different for everyone.
Are Repeat Visits Essential to Recovery?
Visiting a chiropractor after a car accident involves coming up with a treatment plan, which is a general assessment of injuries and the best prediction for recovery. In most cases, repeat visits are crucial to a full recovery.
However, the number of visits per week or month will vary, depending on the injury. Therefore, it is best to go to a chiropractor with an open mind. Embrace the idea of treatment instead of being resistant to it.
The Expertise of Mount Prospect Health Center
With over 25 years of serving the Newark community, Mount Prospect Health Center is an established natural, health, and wellness facility. We strongly advocate for natural, integrative methods and specialize in physical and chiropractic therapy. The licensed and practiced doctors of chiropractic working within our offices include those specializing in auto accident injuries.
Are you in need of a car accident chiropractor? Would you prefer a nonprescription or nonsurgical solution to pain relief and recovery? Do not hesitate to call our offices. Remember that waiting can increase recovery time and the effectiveness of treatment. Schedule an appointment with a licensed and experienced auto injury chiropractor for an assessment by contacting Mount Prospect Health Center.
Sources:
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-if-my-accident-injuries-dont-show-up-right-away.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2484939/
https://www.acatoday.org/research/what-research-shows/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/whiplash-injury
https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/sprains-strains-and-other-soft-tissue-injuries/
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/back-injuries-in-car-accident-cases.html
https://www.physio-pedia.com/Referred_Pain
