Being in an automobile accident is stressful in and of itself. When you incur some sort of injury because of the accident, this can be life changing. The pain that you feel might not come about right away, but you might start to notice some discomfort when those adrenaline levels start to drop post accident. Injuries and pain can occur to one or more parts of the body, including your neck, back or shoulders. With so many different muscles and tendons in these areas, there are a lot of different issues that could be going on.

Whiplash is commonly experienced after a car accident, but there are a lot of other injuries to consider. If you’ve been diagnosed with an injury after an automobile accident, you can turn to a trusted chiropractor to help you cope with the pain and discomfort. They can also help you with the healing process so your body will hopefully return to its normal state. Not to mention, auto accident injury chiropractic care can reduce a lot of the stress and tension that you may be experiencing after the stress of an accident. Treatment can help you relax those muscles and help you achieve a full recovery.

Why Should You Use Chiropractic Care After an Automobile Accident?

If you’ve never been to a chiropractor before, then you might be wondering how they can help you after you’ve experienced an accident. An experienced chiropractor that has knowledge of common auto injuries can use alignments of the spine, massage, stretches and much more to heal and reduce pain. If your spine is out of alignment, this can actually make your injuries feel worse than they are.

If you’re experiencing discomfort after an accident and have not been able to find relief from your physician, a chiropractor may be able to help. Many medical doctors will immediately prescribe medication to relieve the pain of an injury. While these medications can be effective short term, they have a number of negative side effects. This category of medications is highly addictive. A few weeks of use can result in addiction that can be very hard to overcome. You may also experience a lack of cognition as your thinking is very cloudy. Stomach upset, weight loss and increased anxiety or depression are also issues that many people experience when they’re given pain medication for an injury. Car Accident Injury Chiropractic care is a much more natural treatment that doesn’t utilize these medications to treat the problem. Looking at the body as whole and making sure that everything is balanced is a more optimal treatment option long term.

Whiplash As a Common Auto Injury

One of the most common injuries that drivers experience when they’re involved in an accident is whiplash. Whiplash includes injury to the ligaments, discs and muscles that are in the neck and back. The issue is when your body is jolted in one direction unexpectedly and damage results. Not only is pain a symptom of whiplash, but you can also experience blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, inability to move your head or neck, headache and arm pain. Because this is a common injury, a chiropractor can quickly diagnose whiplash. A treatment plan can be put into place to help you feel better and recover fully.

Injuries to the Neck and Lower Back

When your vehicle is hit by another vehicle, or you hit someone else, your head and neck are the parts of your body that will sustain the most impact. That’s typically because your head will lurch forward and backwards. The connective tissues in your neck can’t withstand the twisting that’s occurring. A lot of people assume that a minor accident that they were involved in isn’t going to result in an injury. They may feel fine for days, only to realize that something actually isn’t right. The truth is, the severity of the accident doesn’t always equate to the potential for injury. Even getting rear ended while both cars are moving very slowly can surprise you enough that you cause yourself whiplash or another injury. This is an optimal scenario when chiropractic alignments can really make a big difference in how you feel. Seeing your chiropractor regularly will help you heal, and you’ll be able to stay on track to remaining pain free and healthy.

Injuries to the Spine

A variety of injuries to the spine can occur during an automobile accident. Some of the most common issues that we see from patients after an accident include spinal herniations, spinal extrusions, bulging discs and slipped discs. In between each of your vertebrae, you have discs that will absorb any kind of impact that you experience. When the impact becomes very severe, the discs can get damaged in a way that causes pressure on your nerves and spinal column. This may be the case if you’ve been experiencing things like shooting pain down your arms or legs. Whenever you’re dealing with your spine, it’s important that you are getting help from a professional that you can trust. To improve your quality of life, Denver Chiropractic, LLC can provide you with regular alignments, exercises you can do at home and much more as part of your ongoing care plan.

Injuries Caused by Your Vehicle’s Moving Parts

We’ve talked a lot about the impact that a motor vehicle accident can cause when your body is moved in an unnatural way. However, there are injuries that can occur to your body from things in your vehicle like the seat belt or airbags. Too often do we see people who suffer injuries during a motor vehicle accident all because they were wearing their seatbelt the wrong way. If it’s located around your waist in both directions instead of going across your chest and shoulder, you could end up having muscle strain or even a burn on your torso. If your seat isn’t positioned properly, your airbags deploying could cause you to have spinal injuries, damage to your soft tissues or facial trauma. There may be a chiropractic treatment for each of these injuries, depending on their severity.

Headaches after a Motor Vehicle Accident

You may be tempted to write off your headache as a stress-related side effect of your accident. While this may be true to a certain degree, there are a number of auto injuries that can result in frequent headaches. Whiplash frequently causes headaches, but any kind of strain or muscle pull in the neck, shoulder or back can radiate into the head. If you’re finding that the headache is accompanied by pain elsewhere or the headaches are occurring frequently, you should get checked out as soon as possible. A chiropractor or doctor will confirm that you don’t have any internal bleeding or life-threatening injuries present. From there, you can talk with your chiropractor about what kind of exercises and treatments will help to reduce the headaches that you’re having. Taking over the counter medications or even prescription medications can quickly have an effect on you. It’s better to address the injury instead of trying to numb the pain.

The Alignment of Your Musculoskeletal System and How This Affects Your Recovery

An automobile accident has the potential to knock your musculoskeletal system out of alignment. When this happens, people often experience whiplash, neck or back pain. This commonly happens when the accident occurs to the rear side of your vehicle, such as with a rear end collision. Straining your muscles and knocking the spine out of its necessary alignment can be corrected with the assistance of a chiropractor. A doctor that you meet in the emergency room or at your primary care physician’s office would likely prescribe pain medication or anti-inflammatories to help you. Unfortunately, neither of these options would actually help the root cause of the problem. You would likely continue to experience pain for years to come, when immediate attention could prevent that from happening. A chiropractor isn’t looking to provide you with a band-aid solution to the problem. We want to make sure that our adjustments bring your spine back into its original position. Getting back your full range of motion free of pain is what we strive to accomplish with each patient that we see.

Commonly Used Exercises for Auto Injury Recovery as Prescribed by a Chiropractor

Once you’ve received your diagnosis and care plan, you may be given some exercises to do at home in between your regular appointments and alignments. The care that you receive in the office doesn’t stop there. You can put additional work in to help speed up your recovery and improve your quality of life. Of course, not all exercises will be safe for your specific scenario. Make sure that you’re only doing what has been recommended to you at your appointment. The purpose of exercises is to provide a nice gentle stretch to the body to keep everything moving, mobile and healing. When your muscles are tight, this can put you at a higher risk of making the injury worse or causing another injury.

Stiffness in the neck and back are common after an accident. Doctors will usually suggest that you do some of the following exercises each day.

  • Sit in a chair upright. Tilt your head to one side so that your shoulder is close to your ear. As you tuck your chin into your chest, roll your head to the other side in a ‘u’ shaped movement.
  • If you have light weights on hand, sit in a chair and raise your weights out the side of you at the same time. Don’t move them higher than your shoulders go.
  • Get down on the floor on all fours. Make sure that your knees are located right below your hips. Keep your back and neck completely straight, and raise one of your legs outwards. At the same time, stretch your opposite arm out in front of you.
  • Practice putting your body into the downward facing dog pose that’s common in yoga. Pay close attention to your spine and neck so they are straight.

Can You Use a Chiropractor for Your Injury Claim?

If you’ve incurred injuries during your automobile accident, you may be filing a claim through your insurance provider in order to receive compensation for your medical care and rehabilitation. If you were involved in an accident while on the job, you may need to apply for compensation through your company. This process may involve the need for an examination by a medical professional, and proof of injury. Make sure you’re being seen by a chiropractic office that is well versed in the different injury laws and compensation claims that occur in your area. You should be seen within approximately 30 days of your injury, so give our office a call today to make an appointment. We’ll help you with any information that you need for an accident report or claim so you can stay on your feet while focusing on your recovery.

How Do You Choose a Chiropractor for Your Auto Injury?

It can sometimes take a little while to find a medical professional that you get along with and find helpful. When it comes to working with a chiropractor, it’s important that you do some research before you make an appointment, but make sure that you’re seeking help as soon as possible. Not all chiropractors in the Denver area are created equal. Not to mention, they don’t all have experience with treating automobile injuries. At Denver Chiropractic, LLC, we listen to what you have to say regarding your discomfort, pain and complaints. We’ll work closely with you to ensure that you’re getting a care plan that works for you. If you have any questions or concerns along the way, we want to hear about what you’re thinking. This allows us to make the best decision for your wellbeing. Some of the qualities that our office prides itself on includes:

  • Timely Service – We can quickly bring you in for an appointment, and we’ll make sure that you’re not sitting around waiting while you’re here. Your appointment will be filled with useful procedures and information.
  • Experience – Our staff is comprised of professionals that are truly passionate about what they do. You’ll receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment that you are comfortable with.
  • Communication – You should feel comfortable talking to your chiropractor about how you feel. If they do something that makes you feel worse or uncomfortable, you should feel as though you can speak up. Working together, you will be able to feel comfortable with your upcoming appointments and the care plan that is in place.

Nutritional Support for Recovery

In addition to working with a chiropractor or other medical professional, what you eat and how you take care of your body plays a big role in your recovery. If your body is not getting the nutrients that it needs, you’ll be dealing with inflammation that will make your pain and discomfort worse. It will also slow down your recovery period. The most beneficial vitamins and minerals that you need to provide your body with post accident include:

  • Vitamin A – Reduces inflammation in the body.
  • B complex vitamins – Provides you with more energy, supports the nervous system.
  • Vitamin C – Assists the lymphatic system with flushing out toxins.
  • Vitamin D – Boosts the immune system and supports healing.
  • Calcium – Promotes stronger bones.
  • Copper – Forms red blood cells and helps heal connective tissues in the body.
  • Zinc – You need zinc for over 300 different enzymatic functions in the body. It helps the body rejuvenate tissue and cells.

A supplement can help you get all of these nutrients if you feel like your diet is lacking, but the best way to nourish the body is through food. People tend to lack essential vitamins in their diet, but it’s also common for people to be lacking when it comes to consuming enough protein, amino acids, healthy fats and more. While you don’t need to go on a diet while you’re recovering, it helps to maintain a normal body mass index. Obesity can impede your ability to recover, and it can limit your movement.

There are three compounds that may support recovery thanks to the ability to naturally decrease inflammation a reduce pain. Glucosamine, chondrotin and hyaluronic acid are all being used to promote healing and slow down the degeneration of joints. While more research is needed, the evidence is present for potential long term effects and use.

If you are experiencing pain or discomfort after an automobile accident, contact Denver Chiropractic, LLC. The knowledgeable staff at this Denver location will help to quickly diagnose an injury, listen to what you’re hoping to accomplish and come up with a treatment plan moving forward. Schedule an appointment today.