Auto Injuries
An automobile accident can be an emotionally and physically stressful experience no matter the magnitude or damage done. Symptoms associated with auto accident injuries can appear immediately after the accident or the symptoms can be delayed for days, even weeks post-crash.
Many patients complain of additional symptoms during the course of rehabilitation. Those new symptoms can appear when your body structure has changed due to the compensation mechanism of your body to avoid painful position. Although the most common injuries suffered in auto accidents are classified as “whiplash” type injuries (a combination of severe hyperextension and hyperflexion of the neck tissue often resulting in sprains or strains) depicted above, auto accidents may result in other serious injuries such as broken bones or dislocations, sprains or strains of soft tissue, or spinal joint dysfunction.
One of the most common mistakes people make following an accident is minimizing the severity and not being examined by a qualified health care provider to rule out the possibility of soft tissue damage or possible worse condition as a result of the accident. Medical studies conclude that patients who suffer significant cervical ligament damage as a result of an accident are much more likely to suffer chronic neck pain later in life.
At Chiropractic Family Center of Brick, each patient who has been involved in an automobile accident will be examined by a doctor who will perform a complete physical, orthopedic and neurological exam. Following the thorough exam, the doctors may request a need for further diagnostic testing to be performed before treatment is administered. After the diagnosis is given, our doctors will begin a treatment plan consisting of spinal adjustments, gentle soft tissue work, therapeutic modalities, home recommendations, and rehabilitative exercises to expedite the patient’s recovery period.
Chiropractic care offers an effective, efficient non-invasive treatment that will speed up the healing process preventing an acute injury from turning into a chronic condition following an automobile accident. The chiropractic adjustment is utilized to mobilize fixated vertebral spinal segments that may have been caused by natural “bodily guarding” which protected the body during the impact. . This spinal motion will allow normal mobility and coordinated function of the spine and body. The doctor may also use therapeutic modalities to help the supportive tissues (muscles, tendons, & ligaments) heal more quickly in their proper arrangement. If injured tissue is not properly arranged post-injury, the tissue may harden or fibrose and cause further joint mobility complications leading to a more chronic cycle of pain. As care is provided, better strategies for exercise and home rehabilitation will be discussed with the patient to maintain the strength and flexibility of the injured tissue and significantly reduce the likelihood of chronic pain following our treatment.
If you have any further questions regarding injuries suffered from auto accidents please call the office at 732-920-8188 or email dryanchus@brickfamilychiropractic.com.