3 Reasons You Should See a Chiropractor After a Car Accident
Living in a culture where most of us drive every day, auto accidents happen frequently. In the U.S., over 6 million accidents occur each year. Of those, upwards of 3 million people sustain some type of injury due to their accident. Unfortunately, as many as 2 million people will end up with permanent damage or disability. And these numbers only seem to be increasing as distracted driving from activities like texting and driving becomes the norm.
Common symptoms following a car accident include neck or shoulder stiffness, headaches, back pain, and neurological symptoms (like numbness or burning in the limbs). The severity of symptoms will vary with each individual’s overall health, pain beliefs, and how they were sitting at the time of impact. Symptoms can be of rapid onset or be delayed depending on which areas are affected. There are a lot of complicated factors that go into auto injuries that can leave those trying to recover feeling frustrated. Luckily, options like Chiropractic care can help get sufferers back on track as quickly as possible.
Decreasing your risk of injury or disability following an accident
There are some relatively simple ways to minimize your risk of injury in the event of an auto accident. These include investing in a high safety rated car, practicing safe driving techniques, and making adjustments to your car to support your body and spine as much as possible. Yet, sometimes accidents happen.
The best thing you can do following an auto accident, whether major or minor, is get in touch with a trusted healthcare professional that will help you assess the extent of bodily damage you sustained. Car injuries and symptoms are typically latent in nature and will take time to develop. However, you shouldn’t wait until you are experiencing symptoms. A movement and spinal alignment expert, like a chiropractor, can help immediately address any problems before they become a major issue.
Here are three of the top reasons you should get in touch with a chiropractor that specializes in auto accidents.
1. Address underlying misalignments
There is a reason that a chiropractor is one of the first treatment options recommended following an injury. Chiropractic providers are, first and foremost, specialists in spine alignment. When impact is incurred from a car accident, misalignments of the spine (either created by the accident or exacerbating pre-existing issues) can quickly lead to pain and other debilitating symptoms.
When the root issue of spine alignment is addressed quickly and efficiently, it can significantly reduce future problems. Often, these misalignments are hard to recognize without the help of a trained professional. When the spine is well aligned, it allows for proper nerve signals, balanced posture and better mechanics with everyday activities.
2. Promote proper healing
Optimizing the body’s ability to heal is always a top priority in chiropractic clinics. Chiropractors have a lot of gentle techniques that they can use to help promote the body’s own healing capabilities. Once balance has been restored the body can then receive adequate blood flow and reduce inflammation experienced secondary to the injury. These typically help expedite the recovery process and help better manage pain and a return to normal function.
3. Decreased risk of problems down the road
The impact of a car accident can lead to delayed dysfunction days, weeks, months, or even years later. This is typically due to underlying issues like spine misalignment, build up of scar tissue, and lingering movement imbalances. Chiropractic care takes a holistic full body approach that helps address any current issues and prevent future problems. This can help prevent future disability and headaches- literally!
Seeing a chiropractor is about more than just “getting adjusted.” They can address your root issues with treatment options like soft tissue massage, exercise, posture training, adjustments, pain modalities and more. Chiropractic care has been shown to reduce pain, improve outcomes and speed up recovery when it comes to an auto injury. So the real question is, why would you not go to chiropractor?
Not sure if you need to get in touch with a chiropractor or how to choose the right one? Most clinics that specialize in auto accident care will get you scheduled right away and wait to file their bills with your legal case. That way there is no delay in treatment and you can ensure that you keep living life to the fullest. The team of chiropractic experts at North Alabama Spine and Rehab specializes in all injuries related to auto accidents. Get in touch with them today to get the best possible care after a car injury.
