Why You Should See a Chiropractor After a Car Accident

Every year in America, there are more than five million traffic accidents. This means that millions of Americans are being jarred and shaken by sudden impacts they have no power to resist. We chiropractors know that even relatively minor accidents can have long-lasting effects. That’s why we encourage our patients to visit our office after any type of car accident.

When you’re bounced around in a car accident, even if it seems minor, you might feel sore and achy the next day but just dismiss it because you are glad that nothing worse happened. Actually, that’s what you shouldn’t do. Some people say that accidents with the highest rate of injuries are the minor accidents because individuals in these accidents dismiss their aches instead of seeking care. 

As a chiropractor, I know how important it is for you to seek care right away. When your muscles are sore after an accident, that’s because your body was strained and stressed in that accident. It’s very common for neck muscles, in particular, to be affected because the weight of the head is forcibly whipped in different directions that entirely stresses the structures in the neck. This whipping motion also affects the structural alignment of your neck vertebrae.  So, soreness is absolutely a vertebral misalignment/muscular problem.

If you seek chiropractic care immediately, you can shorten your recovery time, eliminate the possibility of long-term problems and feel better again!  And chiropractic care with Pressure Point Therapy is a good idea even if you think you have not been injured. Untreated injuries from car accidents may not begin to show their real effects for days, months or even years.

The Best Sequence of Care After an Accident

If you’ve been in an accident, see your general practitioner first and ensure that any injuries are treated properly. Then see your chiropractor and follow their treatment recommendations to restore normal function in all areas of your spine. 

I’ve already mentioned how bodies get bounced around and how necks can be strained and sprained by these accidents. Whiplash and trauma up and down the spine are very common. This trauma results in subluxations, or places where the vertebrae are out of alignment.

When vertebrae misalign, the nerves that control movement, sensations and organ function get pinched. This results in impaired body function resulting in neck pain, headaches, numbness or tingling in the arms, impaired motion in the neck or shoulders, fatigue, dizziness and many more symptoms.

By restoring proper alignment, the nerves are able to function well again resulting in elimination of pain, improved mobility, improved sleep, etc., without the use of drugs or even surgery!  So, experience for yourself Chiropractic Adjustments and Pressure Point Therapy and truly feel better again!

What is “Late Whiplash”?

Late whiplash is a new term that describes when a person ignores their injuries until their pain and loss of function becomes unbearable. When a person brushes off their accident, they may find, months later, that they now suffer from:

• Pain and stiffness in neck, upper or lower back
• Severe headaches
• Jaw pain
• Ringing in their ears
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Dizziness

I’m talking here about whiplash, but the same kind of effects can take place lower in the body. Low back strains can cause hip pain, sciatica, numbness, digestive problems and so on.

The longer a person waits to treat these injuries, the longer their muscles and vertebrae will be fixed in their new positions and the more treatment will be needed to correct the situation. 

I hope that you’re not unlucky enough to have a traffic accident! If you do, I hope you’ll contact me promptly so I can do a full examination and get you on the road to proper healing. With chiropractic adjustments and Pressure Point Therapy, you can soon be feeling great again. There aren’t any other chiropractors in the St. Louis area that offer Pressure Point Therapy. I’ve found it to be a great addition to recovery from traffic accidents. Give us a call at (314) 635-1008 to schedule an appointment.