Car accidents are responsible for a lot of injuries. Therefore, if you have been injured because of a car accident, you are not alone. Now, the time after an auto accident can be very stressful. You will realize that you will need to schedule doctor and attorney appointments, file reports, and complete forms.
Apart from this, you are more likely to experience back and neck pain in the coming days. This is a common thing for most people who’ve been involved in an auto accident. Unfortunately, most car accident victims believe that it’s only a doctor who can deal with these problems.
But, did you know that seeing a chiropractor can be one of your best options? One major benefit of chiropractic care is that it doesn’t involve surgery or drugs. Seeking chiropractic care immediately after an auto accident helps reduce the pain and damage associated with your injuries.
Below we list the top benefit of seeking chiropractic care after an auto accident.
Treating common injuries
Some of the easy to spot injuries after a car crash include bruising, broken bones, and lacerations. However, victims don’t experience certain injuries, like whiplash immediately after an accident. These injuries start showing symptoms within a few hours or days after the accident. Common symptoms of whiplash include soreness, dizziness, headaches, as well as pain in your neck and upper back.
If you want to manage whiplash injuries, you need to catch them early. Therefore, never wait to seek treatment when you start feeling pain. Failing to seek proper medical attention can lead to chronic pain. This shows the importance of seeking chiropractic care immediately after a car accident. Chiropractors are experienced in diagnosing whiplash related injuries. Thus, if you visit one, you will be put on the right treatment plan before your pain becomes extreme.
Drug-free pain management
After an auto accident, most people tend to rely on pain medication to manage their pain. Sadly, pain medication works only for a short time. Moreover, you should understand that these drugs cover the signs of your injuries, but they don’t heal the injuries.
Besides, it’s important to note that pain medication is very addictive. Some people believe that they only need to take pain medication until they get better. Unfortunately, they realize that they’ve been addicted to the medication—which leads to withdrawal symptoms if they try to stop taking them.
However, you don’t have to take pain medication if you choose chiropractic care. Chiropractors assist in pain management without the need for medication. Typically, chiropractic care addresses your injuries right from their root source. Therefore, a chiropractor will help you recover from your injuries, not mask the pain.
Reduces chronic pain
Chiropractic adjustments are effective in reducing pain in your body after a car accident. Spinal manipulations increase the production of neurotensin, oxytocin, and cortisol, which help in reducing pain.
These hormones play an important role in relieving the pain in the affected areas. Moreover, this process will also help in reducing the chronic pain that you might have been experiencing in your body before the accident.
Better chances of making an insurance claim
At times, your accident might be as a result of another person’s carelessness. Thus, seeking chiropractic care after an auto accident helps in improving your chances of getting a better settlement. If the injuries that you sustain were another person’s fault, their insurance company is supposed to cater to your medical expenses.
But, you must seek immediate medical attention—failing to do that risks you being denied your claim. So, seeing a professional chiropractor ensures that you get all the documents that you need to make a successful claim.
Diagnosing pain
The most interesting thing about pain is how it shows up when you didn’t expect it. After an auto accident, it’s OK to feel fine. But, it’s advisable that you seek professional medical attention, regardless of how you feel.
It’s not strange for the pain to manifest itself days, weeks, or months after an auto accident injury. Our bodies are very interesting—they can cope with certain changes, as well as mask injuries after an accident. However, our muscles, ligaments, tendons, as well as the skeletal system will give up at some point—and that’s the time you’ll start experiencing pain.
However, seeking chiropractic care assists in diagnosing the pain, as well as determining whether your injuries require chiropractic care, or whether they need any extra treatment. Typically, the diagnosis process will involve your medical history, as well as a physical examination. The examination might involve the necessary imaging tests, to check the degree of your injuries. After these tests, your chiropractor will then recommend the necessary treatment plan, depending on your injuries, as well as your overall health conditions.
Chiropractic care helps in reducing scar tissue
Scar tissue happens on our skins, as well as inside our bodies. Therefore, you shouldn’t think about your skin wounds when you hear about scar tissue. Your muscles can also develop scar tissue after sustaining an auto accident injury because that’s the natural response of your body.
People with scar tissues complain of stiffness in their bodies, which makes them feel uncomfortable. However, scar tissues eventually heal naturally, and this can take some time.
According to chiropractor, Dr. Verg, seeing a chiropractor helps in reducing the time it takes for a patient to heal. Moreover, chiropractic care helps in reducing the stiffness caused by these injuries—thus managing the discomfort caused by scar tissue.
Helps in managing inflammation
Certain injuries like micro-tears in your muscles and ligaments are very common after an auto accident. Unfortunately, these injuries are hardly diagnosed with an X-ray. People who sustain these injuries normally complain of their bodies feeling sore in the morning or when they sit for a long period of time—even when an X-ray imaging shows they are fine.
However, when you seek chiropractic care, your chiropractor will perform spinal manipulations. These manipulations help in realigning your spinal column, and this assists your body to release the much-needed hormone that reduces inflammation and pain in your body.
A chiropractor helps in restoring range of motion
When we say the range of motion, we mean how far your joints can move towards different directions. Back and neck injuries are very common after a car accident. These injuries lead to inflammation that leads to more serious problems. Mostly, nutrients and blood will not access the areas that they should since the inflammation will slow the healing process.
However, seeking chiropractic care assists in mobilizing your spine, thus restoring your range of motion. Moreover, chiropractic adjustments allow your body to heal naturally, and at a faster rate. A professional chiropractor will provide the necessary range of motion movements to improve the functionality of your joints. These adjustments, on the other hand, assist in reducing pain, keeping your joints flexible, as well as improving strength and balance.
Bottom Line
Receiving immediate chiropractic care after a car accident reduces the possibility of experiencing long-term problems. Chiropractic care has been in existence for many decades, and it’s been proven to work. Moreover, you should continue staying active and working after an auto accident if you want to recover faster from your injuries. Always consider undergoing surgery or taking drugs to be your last result. But, you don’t need to take drugs or undergo surgery if you seek an appointment with a professional chiropractor.