Should You Consider Chiropractic Treatment After An Auto Accident?
Even minor car accidents can cause major injury and pain. For this reason, many people see multiple types of providers after an accident, including general doctors, physical therapists, and even chiropractors. If you would like to know more about chiropractic care after a car accident, keep reading.
Did You Get Whiplash?
Whiplash is more common in rear-end collisions. The force of impact causes you to swing your head forward quickly and then backward or vice versa. This can cause damage and injury to the ligaments, muscles, joints, and tendons in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. As a result, you may experience:
- Neck pain that worsens with movement
- Neck stiffness/limited range of motion
- Tenderness that spreads to the head and shoulders
- Headaches at the base of the skull
- Tingling/numbness in the arms from irritated nerves
Your chiropractor will likely use modalities (heat, massage, TENS, etc.) to relax the muscles. Depending on the severity, they may use mild manipulation techniques, such as cervical mobilization. During this process, the chiropractor slightly stretches the neck and gently uses their hands to gently adjust the cervical vertebrae.
Your chiropractor may also move and rotate the neck or use cervical manual traction to better stretch between each vertebra. In some cases, they'll use the activator technique, which involves using a handheld device that sends a small impulse to the neck.
Did You Injure Your Back?
Even if you didn't get whiplash, you may have back pain associated with the accident. Back pain is incredibly common, but your chiropractor can help. For starters, they may also do modalities, stretches, manual traction, and activator technique. Most likely, however, they will use manual manipulation. There are many manipulation techniques, including:
- Gonstead technique: used to help align and adjust the lower back and/or pelvis
- Drop table technique: uses a special table that drops as the chiropractor adjusts the back
- Diversified technique: uses hands-on thrusts directed at certain joints
Your chiropractor may also teach you stretching and exercises that can help improve mobility and reduce pain.
Going to a chiropractor is a great idea after an injury, including a car accident. Plus, if you didn't cause the accident, auto insurance may cover the costs. Your medical insurance may also provide self-referred or referred chiropractic treatments. If you would like to know more, or if you want relief from the pain associated with a car accident, contact an auto injury chiropractor in your area today.