Chiropractic Care Can Be Crucial After a Car Accident

Is it essential to seek chiropractic treatment after you’ve been in a vehicle accident? The answer to that question might seem obvious to many people, but for those unfamiliar with what chiropractors do, it’s a legitimate query. Chiropractors specialize in treating the many medical conditions related to the spinal column, bones, soft tissues, and nervous system. After a car accident, there’s no better place for you to be than in a chiropractor’s office.

Of course, if you suffer injuries like broken bones, trauma to the skull, or significant blood loss, get those life-threatening conditions treated at the appropriate emergency room or clinic. But don’t ignore the long-term effects of most vehicle crashes. Whiplash injuries, for example, often don’t show up for a day or more after impact. If you visit a chiropractor, you’ll get a comprehensive physical exam that uncovers potential problems with your spine and nervous system that might not be obvious to you or emergency room physicians.

Special Considerations for Accident Victims

In addition to getting the very best medical care after a vehicle accident, you must get all your injuries verified and documented by a licensed chiropractor. For example, many kinds of back injuries don’t produce symptoms right away. It’s essential to document your injuries as soon as possible after an accident occurs. Doing so is a smart move for your health and the strength of your potential legal case if another driver caused the accident.

If someone else caused the crash, you’ll want to be as detailed as possible when it comes to getting a full physical exam. Chiropractic works to alleviate back pain, headaches, and neck pain, some of the most common effects of vehicular crashes.

Here are some of the key reasons to see a chiropractor as soon as possible after an accident:

• To prevent physical problems from getting worse
• To undergo a thorough examination so you’ll know the extent of your injuries
• To decide on a treatment plan with your chiropractor for recovery, therapy, and follow-up care
• To meticulously document your injuries for legal purposes and so your attorneys know what you’ll need to receive compensation for, should they file a suit against the at-fault driver

Injuries Commonly Sustained in Accidents

Every vehicle collision is unique, so it’s nearly impossible to say what kinds of injuries you’ll suffer. However, the key factor is the severity of the accident. Numerous factors play into the overall event, including how fast the cars were traveling at the time of the collision, whether it was a one-vehicle crash or a multiple-vehicle accident, whether people were wearing their seatbelts or not, how the cars collided, how slippery the roads were, how quickly help arrived on the scene, and whether either of the drivers was impaired.

Keep in mind that even in a best-case scenario, it’s still possible to suffer an injury. All it takes is a slight bump of the head, a twisting of the torso, or minor impact on or around the spine to lead to serious medical complications. People have sustained life-threatening concussions and spine damage in low-speed “fender-benders.” The human body is quite delicate. The spine, neck, back, and head can become injured in very low-impact situations. Perhaps that’s why whiplash is one of the most frequent results of vehicle accidents.

In addition to whiplash, other typical injuries people suffer in car crashes include:

• Concussions, from light to severe
• A wide range of soft-tissue injuries
• Traumatic injuries to the brain
• Bruising, from localized to whole-body
• Muscle sprains and strains
• Bone fractures
• Broken bones
• Lacerations

Why Should You See a Chiropractor After an Auto Accident?

Ask anyone who has been in a car accident, and they’ll quickly be able to rattle off at least a dozen reasons why seeing a chiropractor was the best move they made. Ask a chiropractor, and you’ll get another set of reasons, mostly based on medical benefits accident victims receive from prompt, professional treatment. There are multiple reasons to visit your chiropractor as soon as possible after a collision occurs, including the following:

• The treatment is non-invasive and uses no drugs. You’ll avoid the need to take prescription, habit-forming substances that do nothing more than mask symptoms. Chiropractors treat the causes, not the symptoms, of pain.
• Chiropractic treatment can reduce inflammation and scar tissue, minimizing the chance that your injuries and pain will be long term.
• You’ll have a better chance of restoring range-of-motion in your limbs, torso, neck, and back.
• You’ll get a detailed treatment plan based on your specific injuries. Your chiropractor will explain the plan to you and suggest some things you can do in between visits to help you body heal faster.
• You’ll get detailed, precise, and authoritative legal documentation of all your injuries and treatment, including proposed plans for future chiropractic sessions. If you are the victim of an at-fault driver, this kind of documentation is crucial for your legal claim’s success.
• Chiropractors can help reduce pain throughout your body and uncover so-called “invisible” injuries that often result from vehicle collisions.

Smart Choices When You are Injured

Even if you feel fine after a vehicle crash, it’s better to be safe than sorry, as the old expression goes. Seek chiropractic care as soon as possible, even on the day of the accident, if possible. The sooner, the better. Why do people head to their chiropractor’s office after collisions? The main reason is to get the very best, most thorough medical treatment possible and fully document every physical condition resulting from the collision.

People who endure vehicle crashes often suffer injuries to their bodies’ soft tissues and very tender muscles around the spine. Ligaments and muscles don’t always ache right after the impact. They often slowly reveal the full extent of the damage days or weeks later.

If you want the very best medical documentation for use in a lawsuit, a chiropractor will provide you with a detailed, authorized report of the comprehensive physical exam. The main thing is to act quickly. Procrastinating can mean more pain and injuries that are harder to treat.

When you visit the Pike Creek Sports Medicine Center at Spinal Health & Wellness, you’ll be in the able hands of Dr. Tim Ciolkosz, a certified chiropractic physician who specializes in whiplash injuries, neck pain, headache relief, low-back pain, and scoliosis treatment.

Dr. Tim Ciolkosz specializes in scoliosis treatment, whiplash injuries, headache, neck pain and low back pain treatment. With over 20 years of experience under his belt, you and your family are in great hands. Contact Dr. Ciolkosz’s office at (302) 993-9113 and begin your treatment program today. New patients are always welcome at Spinal Health & Wellness. Don’t let a vehicle accident stop you cold.