A car accident can be completely jarring in many ways for our patients, not least of which is the potentially chronic painful aftermath in their neck and back from whiplash or worse. However, it seems that many patients are unsure of seeking treatment from a chiropractor first, even though clinical guidelines suggest a referral to a chiropractor before a specialist. According to a recent study in 2020, guidelines for primary care doctors, as long as patients are cleared of any serious injuries sustained from the accident, they should be referred to alternative care like chiropractic for pain, before radiology or specialists.
How Can a Chiropractor Help Me After My Auto Accident?
Chiropractors are able to treat neck and back injuries associated with auto accidents. Many times, individuals who have been injured in a car accident experience such intense muscle pain and stiffness that they simply cannot function normally. When left untreated, this discomfort can be a serious issue.
After an auto accident, some individuals experience indicators of whiplash injuries right away, such as blurred vision, headaches, shoulder pain, dizziness, reduced range of motion and arm pain. Whiplash can also result in minor back injuries, muscle injuries, ligament problems, and disc damage. Other individuals may be injured and feel nothing at all.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash Is a type of neck injury that occurs when the head is thrown forward and then back again – often as the result of a car accident. The extreme emotions involved overstretching the connective tissue throughout the neck including ligaments, muscles, and nerves.
Treating pain or whiplash should never be secondary to bringing your car at the mechanic or working with your insurance company. If you’ve had an auto accident recently, your first priority should be taking the initiative to visit your chiropractor!
Should I see a chiropractor who specializes in Car-Accident Injuries? Chiropractic treatment could be the key to a patient’s sustained recovery, but it is also important for us as healthcare professionals to work collaboratively with the patient’s conventional medicine doctors in order to best serve them.