Importance of Seeing a Chiropractor After an Auto Accident

Auto accidents are extremely common and result in millions of injuries across the world every single day. Unfortunately, not all injuries are visible, and many don’t even cause symptoms immediately. Many of the injuries that occur in an auto accident affect the musculoskeletal system – the network of bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons that give our bodies form, strength, and movement. Chiropractic care, which focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the musculoskeletal system, is often the best way to diagnose and treat an auto injury. You may not be in any pain immediately or have any visible injuries, but it is still advisable that you speak to a chiropractor as soon as possible after your accident.

 

Why It’s Important to See a Chiropractor as Soon as Possible After an Auto Accident

Immediately after an accident, most people experience a rush of adrenalin, which is the body’s way of helping you to cope with the shock of what has happened. However, high levels of adrenaline can mask injuries that you might have experienced.

 

If you have suffered an injury that your adrenaline is masking, you could cause yourself further damage. This is because pain acts as a warning signal, telling us not to perform an action or move a certain way because it could cause us harm. When adrenaline masks the pain, we don’t have this warning in place to protect us, and we may continue with our planned course of action, even though it could worsen the issue.

 

Common Injuries After an Auto Accident and How a Chiropractor Can Help

There is a huge range of different types of injury that can occur when you are involved in an auto accident. Nevertheless, even if it doesn’t look like you have been injured, there is a good chance that your musculoskeletal system has sustained some damage. This is largely down to the amount of force that is exerted on the body when you are in a collision. Some types of musculoskeletal injuries are more common than others. These include:

 

Whiplash

Whiplash is arguably the most common injury sustained in auto accidents and can even at occur when you are traveling at low speeds. It occurs when the force of the impact causes your head to rapidly whip forwards and backward, placing extreme stress on the neck and upper part of the spine. The biggest issue with whiplash is that symptoms of the injury rarely present themselves right away. In fact, it can be a few days before you start to suffer from the pain and stiffness that characterizes the condition.

 

How Can a Chiropractor Help with Whiplash?

Chiropractic care is one of the best treatments for whiplash since chiropractors are specialists in dealing with this type of injury. Your treatment will focus on reducing the inflammation affecting your neck and cervical spine, reducing discomfort, and improving mobility in your neck and shoulders. Some of the techniques which may be used to improve this include spinal adjustments, stretching, massage, and heat/cold.

 

Herniated Disc

Many auto accidents result in a herniated disc. This is where one or more of the intervertebral discs that cushion the bones in the spinal column slips out of position, touching nerves and other structures and resulting in a range of symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness that can also affect the legs and/or arms. Many people may not realize that they have suffered a herniated disc until they see a chiropractor, who is specially trained to be able to identify and diagnose the condition.

 

How Can a Chiropractor Help with a Herniated Disc?

In most cases, chiropractic care is the most effective treatment for a herniated disc. A range of techniques can be used to reduce the pressure being placed onto the disc and surrounding structures, and to help guide it back into the correct position. This in turn helps to reduce pain and inflammation and restore your mobility so that you can move around more easily. Your chiropractor may also recommend a course of preventative treatment which focuses on restoring the strength in your spine so that you could potentially avoid further herniated discs in the future.

 

Connective and Soft Tissue Injuries

It isn’t only the connective and soft tissues in the neck that can be damaged during an auto accident. Our bodies are full of tendons and ligaments, muscles, and more that give us strength and facilitate movement, and these too can suffer injuries such as over-extension and tearing if they are placed under abnormal load or force. These can be extremely painful and affect your usual ability to perform day-to-day activities.

 

How Can a Chiropractor Help with Connective and Soft Tissue Injuries Sustained in an Auto Accident?

Chiropractic treatment can help to speed up the healing process. This is because when the spine is manipulated into proper alignment, the central nervous system can begin to function more optimally, prompting improved circulation which delivers blood and nutrients to the area which requires healing. As we know, chiropractic treatment also helps to reduce inflammation, which helps to keep pain at a manageable level and improves your flexibility and range of motion.

 

Learn more about the importance of seeing a chiropractor after an auto accident, contact Eisman Chiropractic Clinic in Detroit, MI at (313) 395-0088.