Auto Injuries Q & A

What Injuries are Often Associated with Auto Accidents?

Auto accidents can cause a wide variety of injuries. The most common are often whiplash, blunt force trauma to the head, and various types of internal injuries. Whiplash results in the stretching and tearing of the connective tissues in the neck. Blunt force trauma is any intense bruising from the body being impacted by a portion of the vehicle, including the steering wheel, dashboard, or doors. Internal injuries are often caused by the body being thrown into the dash, doors, or steering wheel. Even if a person is wearing a seat belt, the risk of internal injuries is extremely high. Broken ribs and internal bleeding are commonly reported injuries.

Can Auto Related Injuries be Prevented?

The only way to truly prevent auto-related injuries is to prevent auto accidents. Because an accident can occur at any time, it is important to protect yourself as much as possible. Wearing a seat belt at all times is of vital importance. Be mindful of the environment and know what is going on around the vehicle at all times. It is also important to keep the vehicle in good working order. In many cases, people claim that accidents are the result of being frustrated or stressed. Regular chiropractic adjustments help to relieve stress and will actually help a person remain more focused and alert.

Why Does it Take so Long for the Symptoms of Auto Related Injuries to Appear?

It can take up to 24 hours or longer for a person to begin to feel the repercussions of the injuries they received in an auto accident. Part of the reason for this is the massive release of adrenaline that occurs after an accident. Adrenaline is what kicks the body into high gear during a fight or flight situation. It gives the body the immediate use of extra energy that may be needed to help get out of a bad situation. The entire body becomes a constant chemical reaction that is designed to provide the resources needed to get out of the way of danger. After an accident, it can take several hours or even a day or two for the adrenaline to dissipate. Once it does and the body begins to relax, it will begin to feel the pain associated with a person’s injuries.

What are your treatment options?  

The days, weeks, months following a car crash can and often are very difficult for people.  You may be getting advice from multiple different people that have tried multiple different approaches to get better.  What you do really depends on the severity of injuries.  If you have broken bones or internal injuries then going to the hospital is your best option.  Often times, people experience whiplash in a crash which will limit their options for care.  If they go to the primary care physician, they will often times be prescribed pain pills and muscle relaxers, which may help the person feel better, but don’t actually fix the problem.  Some may go to physical therapy, which will also address the soft tissue (muscles), but still will not necessarily address the structural problems that result from a whiplash.  Chiropractic is truly the BEST option when it comes to recovering from car crash injuries because we address the soft tissue as well as the structural problems of the injury.  You also need to make sure that you go to a chiropractor that has the proper training (which we do!).

What do we do to fix the pain caused by a car accident? 

As with any office, there will be some initial paperwork to fill out.  After that, we will do a consultation, where you sit down with the doctor and you two discuss what is going on and how you’re feeling.  Following the consultation, you and the doctor will go through a thorough exam where we will zero in on exactly where the problem is that is causing you your pain and discomfort.  Depending on the patient, we often times will perform x-rays after the exam.  We do ver specialized x-rays that allow us to see exactly how your spine is functioning and we can then check to see the progress with post x-rays.  Upon completion of the exam and x-rays, you and the doctor will go over the findings, where you will find out exactly what is going, why you’re feeling the way you are, what needs to be done to fix it as well as going over insurance coverage.  All of this truly sets our office apart from all other offices, because we have the specific training to handle these cases and get you back to living your life! 



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