How Soon After a Car Accident Should I See a Chiropractor?

Most people will be involved in a car accident at some point during their lifetime. Many incidents are very minor, and patients can walk away with cuts and bruises, or often, no visible sign of injury whatsoever. However, this doesn’t always reflect what has happened beneath the surface and sometimes injuries can come to light sometime later. It is for this reason that anyone who has been involved in a car accident is recommended to see a chiropractor/car accident doctor within 48 hours.
 

The delayed appearance of car accident injuries

In many cases, if they don’t have visible lacerations or experience immediate pain, people who have been involved in a car accident don’t realize that they have been injured right away. This is normally due to a combination of adrenalin and other chemicals being passed around their body, masking immediate signs of a problem. Often, it isn’t until several days later when life has returned to normal that patients may start to discover that they can’t move as easily as they did before, or that they are experiencing discomfort.

Of course, the trouble is that the longer a problem goes undetected, the greater the risk that you could inadvertently make the damage worse. This naturally means that healing can take longer and potentially even be more complex than it might have been. One good example of this is whiplash.

Whiplash

One of the most common injuries sustained after a car accident is whiplash. Whiplash occurs as a result of sudden, back-and-forth movement of the head which causes the muscles and ligaments of the neck to extend beyond their usual capabilities. In some cases, they can even tear. Whiplash is also one of the injuries that can take a while to manifest, with symptoms taking as long as 72 hours to appear following a car accident. These can include neck pain and stiffness, headaches, blurred vision, and dizziness.
 

Chiropractic treatment for car accident injuries

Most car accidents involve a degree of force. Even if your vehicle is standing still, another might be shunted into yours, causing your body to experience being jolted. Any sort of force, even one that doesn’t seem high-impact - can place strain on your bones, muscles, and the other connective tissues that are used to support your body. Orthopedic and soft tissue injuries are actually some of the most common types of injuries to occur following a car accident.

Fortunately, chiropractors are specifically trained to be able to assess, diagnose, and treat disorders that affect the musculoskeletal system – the bones, muscles, and soft tissues that can be affected in a car accident. They can perform orthopedic and neurological tests in order to assess the damage, muscle strength, and joint and nerve function to determine if you have sustained any injuries. Using this information, they can plan a personalized treatment program that will be used to realign your spine, relieve pressure on your nervous system, and make it easier for your body to heal itself. This will be done using various appropriate techniques including spinal adjustments, deep tissue massage, and trigger point therapy. After even just one treatment you may notice a reduction in the pain and stiffness that you may be experiencing. This is because all chiropractic techniques boost circulation, enabling oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to travel around the body more quickly and effectively, reducing inflammation and pain.

If you have recently been involved in a car accident, don’t wait to seek an assessment from a chiropractor. Search online for a ‘car accident doctor near me’ or call one of our four Back and Neck Pain Centers offices today to schedule an appointment.