When seeking care for injuries due to a car accident, many people turn to chiropractic care, like from a chiropractor in Mesa, AZ at LifeCare Chiropractic, as their beacon of relief. The preference for alternative medicine has grown in recent years, as more people are turning away from prescription painkillers and leaning towards the chiropractic approach. It doesn’t take much for the human body to get hurt from a car accident either, as even collisions of around 15MPH can cause spinal, neck, and back damage that needs treatment.
For victims of car accidents, most are yearning for a treatment method that will result in a reduction of their symptoms and help them achieve recovery sooner rather than later. Chiropractors can offer drug-free, non-invasive ways to heal injuries due to auto collisions.
The Most Common Car Accident Injury
One of the most common yet hardest to treat car accident injuries is whiplash. It is estimated that around three hundred thousand cases of whiplash occur each year, and a significant number of those were at low speeds. In fact, it only takes a speed change of 2.5MPH for the neck to sustain injury. About half of all accidents that resulted in whiplash injuries are due to car accidents, and the injury can be caused regardless of at which angle the driver was hit (front, rear, or side impact).
Symptoms of Whiplash
When the neck and head gets jolted back and forth rapidly past its normal limits, tiny tears can develop within the nearby ligaments. In addition to that, the vertebrae of the neck can get shoved out of alignment due to the force. Most victims don’t feel any pain in their neck until the following day or so, when these micro-tears begin to swell. Symptoms often associated with whiplash include:
- Neck pain
- Blurry vision
- Shoulder pain
- Dizziness
- Neck stiffness
- Arm pain
- Restricted range of motion
- Headaches
- Lower back pain
Whiplash Treatment and Healing
When first visiting a chiropractor about car accident injuries, he or she will examine you to determine the severity of the damage. Testing such as x-rays, an MRI, or CT scan may be needed to understand the full extent of the injury. After that is performed, your chiropractor will suggest a treatment plan. There are several approaches to chiropractic care, including spinal adjustments, massage, ultrasound, heat therapy, and nutritional counseling. These methods can provide car accident victims with these healing benefits:
- Restored Mobility: stiffness and soreness after a car accident can hinder a person’s ability to go about their daily life as normal. Chiropractors can help get people moving as they had prior to the accident, before scar tissue has a chance to develop.
- Relief of Pain: soft tissue injury can take several months to heal completely, but by getting chiropractic care this process can speed up much faster. In fact, some people report that they had a reduction in pain and discomfort after the first few weeks of treatment.
- Long-Term Healing: car accidents can leave people with muscle weakness, which may make them more vulnerable to re-injury. Chiropractic care can help make muscles strong again while increasing flexibility.