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11 Common Injuries Treated by a Car Accident Chiropractor
Did you know that up to 50 million people face injuries after car accidents each year? If you’re one of them, you might be dealing with chronic pain. Worse yet, the immediate or lasting consequences of injuries can disrupt your personal and professional life.
You may benefit from medical care. Read on to learn about the 11 common injuries treated by a car accident chiropractor!
1. Inflammation
When your body is traumatized during a car accident, you’ll probably end up with some inflammation as a result. Think of inflammation as a defensive response. You’ll usually see swelling and feel heat as signs of inflammation.
Inflammation can make moving forward with daily activities painful. It can lead to other problems like joint pain or even depression if you’re prevented from functioning normally on account of it.
A skilled chiropractor will work with you to devise a care plan that targets the right problems. Treatment could include spinal manipulations or ultrasound therapy. With the latter treatment, heat is generated to help reduce inflammation.
2. Whiplash
During an accident, your neck may overextend, leading to an injury called whiplash. Your neck could be forced forward and then backward quickly, and without warning.
Whiplash is one of the more common injuries that a car accident can cause. Typically, it occurs if you’ve been rear-ended from braking hard or having a distracted driver behind you.
Sometimes the pain of whiplash may not be obvious right after the accident. But in the next few days, you’ll feel it, and the pain can be severe. Expect headaches, dizzy spells, and stiffness in your neck area.
Left untreated, whiplash can cause ongoing pain in your neck. You may not be able to move your neck as easily. You’ll want to seek reliable chiropractic services right away to treat it.
3. Chest Pain
After a car accident, chest pain is likely, especially when you’re wearing a seatbelt that restrains you upon impact. The pain may feel like it’s coming from somewhere deeper within your body, and that’s because it usually is.
Chest pain can be caused by bruised lungs, fractured ribs, and other internal trauma. There’s a good chance your chest will make an impact with another object during an accident. The severity of that impact can make breathing difficult or uncomfortable.
You’ll want to seek medical attention promptly. And you’ll want to consult with a chiropractor who can help you recover more quickly with the right care.
4. Back Pain
Back pain can affect your upper and lower back following a car accident. Fractures or nerve pressure can be the source of this pain. And without treatment, you may find yourself spending more time immobilized.
After an accident, you could have a compressed lumbar spine, which means your lower back can feel sore and tight. You may also deal with swelling and visible bruising. Or the jerky motion of a car accident could lead to a strain or sprain.
Some discomfort may come and go with back pain. However some back pain can be intense and prolonged. That’s where a chiropractic practice can make a huge impact.
Hand manipulation and gentle motions can help realign the spine and reduce pain. Some may use soft tissue massage. When your body is moved around awkwardly during an accident, your soft tissues will feel it.
Other situations may call for trigger point therapy. Some treatments can be done at home, as well.
You may need alternating cold and hot applications to your back to treat the inflammation. Or your chiropractor may assign regular exercises to reduce pain.
5. Muscle Soreness
Muscle soreness often accompanies the aftermath of a car accident. Even if you didn’t get terrible injuries, you still could be feeling aches and pains.
You may have muscles that have been stretched or torn, for instance. This can impact your comfort when sitting still or when making sudden movements.
Seatbelts and airbags can cause some of the soreness. While these safety devices protect your overall body, they can leave your muscles vulnerable.
Chiropractic adjustments can reach your deepest soft tissues. This creates long-lasting relief and generates better blood flow. You’ll feel better right away.
6. Spinal Cord Issues
The last thing you want is to sustain spinal cord injuries after an accident. Since your spinal cord is the anchor of your skeletal system, these injuries can be debilitating if you don’t treat them.
With spinal injuries, you may experience a ligament or bone that tears during the accident. That can trigger damage to nerve cells and lead to chronic issues.
Other problems may include herniated discs. With this problem, also known as a slipped disc, your spine’s discs are hurt and shifted from impact during the accident. This puts pressure on nerves, and that causes intense pain in your neck or back.
You may also deal with headaches and numbness. Aside from limiting activities and seeking imaging, chiropractic care can be useful with car accident-related spinal issues.
A chiropractor can help by making adjustments to improve spinal alignment. They also can help by demonstrating stretches that can reduce and manage pain.
7. Knee Pain
A forceful car accident can wreak havoc on your knees. You could end up with ACL injuries on account of the pressure. Other common causes of knee pain include fractures and dislocations.
If your knee is twisted suddenly, you could have a cartilage injury. Tendons around your knee can become strained during impact from a car crash, as well. Imaging may show that you need surgical help, but other situations may show that chiropractic care can work well.
A sturdy knee is critical to mobility, so ignoring problems after a car accident only leads to more problems. Turn to a chiropractor to offer non-invasive approaches to alleviating knee pain.
They can help with therapeutic movements to bring relief. They’ll help ease joint inflammation or dysfunction.
A chiropractor may use ultrasound therapy to increase mobility. Trigger point therapy can help isolate problem areas. And the application of intense pressure can bring about relief.
8. Shoulder Pain
Most people think of neck and back pain when they think of car accident injuries. But shoulders can sustain injuries, too. In many cases, shoulder pain is connected to seatbelts hurting the shoulder during an accident.
In other cases, the shoulders can lurch forward during impact and hit the dashboard. This could result in a painful fracture or dislocation. Some people may even experience minimal mobility or no mobility as a result.
Shoulder pain may stem from nerve damage or irritated muscles and tendons. Fortunately, chiropractors are skilled at helping individuals manage shoulder pain.
Massage, stretching exercises, and manipulation all can improve the range of motion and reduce stinging pain. Ultrasound therapy can improve blood flow, which can help mend tears. And electronic stimulation may be another effective mode of offering relief.
9. Cuts
Even minor car accidents can result in cuts and scrapes. Aside from treating the problem with compression, alcohol, and a bandaid, cuts might require more attention.
You might associate chiropractors more with alignment or tissue problems within the body. But they can help manage cuts, too.
With massage to an affected area, you’ll see reduced scarring. If a cut is in an area prone to tenderness already, a chiropractor can advise you on home treatments that will reduce inflammation. And they’ll help you understand how to minimize the likelihood of a recurring injury.
10. Bruised Ribs
Another reason to see a chiropractor is to treat bruised ribs following an accident. Bruised ribs can occur when your body is jolted upon impact. And they can feel incredibly uncomfortable and swollen.
Treating bruised ribs may involve a combination of cold and hot applications. Using ice can cut help the swollen area feel more comfortable and dull the pain. Following that up with heat can help promote better blood flow, which helps with healing.
Other approaches to treating bruised ribs include using massage and stretching exercises. Using gentle exercises to slowly extend flexibility in the affected area can improve movement.
11. Concussions
High-impact car accidents can send your body and head throttling forward or backward. And there’s always a strong chance that your head will come into contact with the body of the car. This can lead to traumatic head injuries, such as concussions.
Concussions can lead to memory issues, sleep problems, and stumbling. The blow to your head can disrupt brain function, though full recoveries are more likely than not. Chiropractors have the skills to treat concussions and enhance the recovery process.
Chiropractic care can improve bodily alignment by addressing spinal issues connected to the concussion. With adjustments, you can experience better cerebral spinal fluid flow. And that helps send restorative nutrients to your brain for a better recovery.
Seek a Car Accident Chiropractor
A car accident chiropractor can help you manage pain and feel better. These health professionals can treat common issues after an accident such as back pain, whiplash, and muscle soreness. But they also are capable of offering relief for concussions, rib issues, and knee pain, among other ailments.
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