From property damage to legal issues, accidents cause significant chaos for the people involved. These situations often create feelings of panic, while the adrenaline surge that comes with perceived danger can change a person’s view on how to move forward.
Even as an event is happening, your safety and health should be your top concern. The consequences of delayed medical treatment can be severe, ranging from chronic pain to complete paralysis. While many say they feel fine after an accident, it’s best to consider these reasons for visiting a chiropractor right away.
Why Is It So Important to See a Chiropractor After an Accident?
After an auto accident, victims often feel pain where it’s least expected. Many feel soreness in their back and neck as well as in their shoulders and head. Even a minor, low-impact collision may cause injuries that turn into significant pain points with time. Working with a chiropractor after an accident alleviates these trigger points before they become a bigger issue.
Seeking immediate treatment for injuries such as whiplash means avoiding more complex procedures down the line. Not only is chiropractic care non-invasive, but it’s also customized, as treatment plans are tailored to each patient’s specific needs. Most importantly, post-accident chiropractic care is typically covered by auto insurance. Visiting AccidentCareChiropractic.com is a smart decision because the sooner you receive treatment the faster you’ll be diagnosed and treated for your accident injuries.
Not All Injuries Are Obvious
An injury caused by an auto accident isn’t always obvious, and it might not appear for days or even weeks. When a person’s body experiences a traumatic event such as an accident, it may go into survival mode, releasing endorphins that mask pain.
Auto accidents can cause long-lasting injuries to muscles, ligaments, and joints, which may, in turn, lead to severe pain, a decreased range of motion, and other issues that may not manifest themselves for some time. For instance, the symptoms of whiplash sometimes take a day or more to appear.
Taking a Holistic Approach to Post-Accident Care
Car crashes often cause whiplash, back and neck pain, headaches, muscle, and joint soreness, and other troublesome symptoms. These injuries, while serious, can be treated without the use of prescription pain medicines.
A chiropractor can treat all these (and other) injuries effectively by using spinal corrections, adjustments, and other techniques that don’t require drugs. With these advanced treatment techniques, doctors can promote patients’ natural and amazing self-healing abilities.
Preventing Long-Term Pain
When auto accident injuries go untreated, it leads to long-term suffering. An injury occurring because of an auto accident may not show symptoms for quite some time afterward if it is not properly and immediately treated. Visiting a chiropractor as soon as possible will offer you the best chance of a complete recovery. Don’t wait—seek treatment from a chiropractor today.
An Increased Range of Motion
Accident-related injuries often reduce a patient’s range of motion, making simple, everyday jobs feel impossible. Even sitting, sleeping, and walking can be difficult.
As an accident occurs, your body tries to minimize further damage. Muscles and joints stiffen up, but this natural reaction can sometimes bring lasting effects. Working with a local chiropractor will help relax these body parts so they can heal properly and restore your range of motion.
Drug-Free Pain Relief
Living with persistent pain and discomfort can be life-altering and debilitating. However, many patients are reluctant to take prescription pain medications for fear they will become addicted.
Thankfully, chiropractic care offers accident victims a natural and drug-free way to reduce or eliminate pain. Chiropractic treatments address the causes of discomfort, not just the symptoms. In doing this, patients can enjoy lasting, complete relief from chronic pain.
Bonus Benefit #1: Chiropractic Treatment is Minimally Invasive
Local chiropractors use precise movements done with instruments or by hand to return ligaments, muscles, and joints to proper alignment and nerves to their normal response levels. Most of today’s doctors agree that surgery should be a last resort and it is best to try less-invasive treatments first.
During a visit to the chiropractor’s office, you’ll likely feel at ease, and you’ll undoubtedly notice an immediate, noticeable improvement in your symptoms. Additionally, research shows that routine chiropractic treatment can improve your overall body function and give you a greater sense of well-being.
Bonus Benefit #2: Fewer Migraines and Headaches
Although these aren’t the most readily apparent symptoms of a musculoskeletal injury, migraines and headaches are common, especially among those suffering from whiplash due to an auto accident. Whiplash happens when the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the neck are hyperextended, causing tears and damage that triggers pain and range of motion issues.
Some chiropractic treatments, including more relaxing ones such as massage, are shown to be extremely effective ways to counteract debilitating migraines and ordinary headaches.
Bonus Benefit #3: Less Scar Tissue
While most scars are visible, scar tissue can form outside or inside the body. Car accidents often bring serious muscle damage, and as these conditions heal, scar tissue often develops. The problem with muscular scar tissue is that it causes the muscles to become thicker, shorter, and less flexible.
This may leave you with a lack of functional muscle fibers, decreasing overall strength and limiting your range of motion. With proper chiropractic treatment, the effects of scar tissue can be limited.
Bonus Benefit #4: A Better Legal Claim
While not all auto accidents bring about legal cases, there are instances when the patient isn’t at fault and decides to file a personal injury claim. Many chiropractors work with injury attorneys and others in the legal field, helping patients resolve their complaints and get their medical care paid for by the responsible party’s insurer.
Don’t Wait—Get Treated Today
Accidents can cause serious bodily harm that limits your ability to perform everyday tasks. These problems do not resolve themselves, and if left untreated, they can become worse. By seeing a licensed chiropractor as soon as possible after an accident, you can get on the road to a complete recovery.
