Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident

 

 

 

Whiplash & Neck Pain Treatment in Phoenix, AZ

Car accidents are never pleasant and often result in severe injuries. If you are suffering from severe neck pain from an auto accident, you have come to the right place. Auto Injury Treatment Centers offers chiropractic care and whiplash treatment in Phoenix, AZ. We offer neck pain therapy for neck pain from whiplash. Our car accident chiropractors use proven techniques for whiplash injury treatment. There are thousands of accidents each day, whether you are driving in Gilbert, Mesa, Glendale, or Scottsdale, AZ. Our West Phoenix, AZ chiropractor’s office offers effective whiplash neck injury treatments. We know you have questions about seeking chiropractic care after an auto accident. Our team has prepared the answers to the questions we receive the most. Read through them and feel free to contact us if you have any other questions that we did not get to.

Should I See a Chiropractor After a Car Accident?

The simple answer is yes, you really need to see a doctor or chiropractor after a car accident. With all the traffic in Phoenix and the number of distracted drivers on the road, avoiding accidents is not always easy. You should visit an accident injury chiropractor after any auto accident. You may not notice your injuries at first. Adrenaline kicks in after a car accident, causing pain to subside. Other injuries will not become apparent until a bit later on. If you plan on pursuing a lawsuit against a careless driver, you need a professional medical diagnosis and proper documentation of all your injuries and treatment. This documentation can help you obtain compensation in your case. Seeing a chiropractor is also critical for your health and wellbeing after a motor vehicle accident. Not being treated in a timely manner can lead to severe and long-lasting side effects. There is no harm in getting checked out just to be safe.

What Types of Injuries Occur from Motor Vehicle Accidents?

Many different types of injuries can be sustained from a car accident. Every auto accident is different, so attempting to self-diagnose is not recommended. Damage can be done to your body, even in minor car accidents. The severity of the car crash you were involved in has a significant impact on the severity of your injuries or those to the passengers in your vehicle. The three factors that affect injuries include the type of accident, the rate of speed, and if you were wearing a seatbelt. You may still sustain an injury even if you were traveling at a low speed and wearing a seatbelt. The human body does not expect accidents and can react adversely when presented with any type of unforeseen force. Neck and back injuries are common, even in minor rear-end collisions. Whiplash is the most common injury that results from car crashes. Other common types of injuries from motor vehicle collisions include:

• Bruises
• Lacerations
• Soft-tissue injuries
• Broken bones
• Strains & sprains
• Concussions
• Traumatic brain injuries

How Soon Should I See a Doctor?

We know that your life can be thrown into an uproar after a car accident. You may be left without a vehicle and trying to find transportation, and you might be on the phone a lot with the insurance companies. The most important thing is to take care of your health, and you need proper medical documentation to proceed with your legal case. It is recommended that people injured in car wrecks should see a doctor no more than 72 hours after the accident occurred. Even if the accident was not your fault and you do not think you were injured, you should still seek medical attention. Insurance policies may assume that not visiting a doctor within three days means you were not injured enough to obtain compensation. Auto accident injuries may occur days or even weeks after the collision. You should still visit us for your initial consultation as soon as possible. Our accident injury chiropractors will evaluate you and determine if you have suffered an injury during the crash.

Why Is Chiropractic Care the Right Choice?

Many auto accident injuries are non-visible, including whiplash and other soft tissue injuries. If you suffer from broken bones or deep cuts, you should seek immediate medical care from an emergency room. However, in most cases, chiropractic care is the right choice after your automobile accident. Chiropractors are experts in reducing painful symptoms naturally by readjusting your body to its correct and optimal functioning ability to restore the natural flow of energy. Our experienced and trained chiropractors will find the cause of your pain, soreness, and discomfort so they can treat it at its source. Chiropractic doctors utilize natural treatment techniques to repair auto accident injuries for good.

How Do Chiropractors Diagnose Whiplash Injuries?

Your chiropractor will evaluate your spine as a whole, even if you are only complaining of neck pain following your car accident. Other regions of your spine may be affected by the injury, even if you only notice pain in your neck. Chiropractors diagnose whiplash injuries by identifying any areas of restricted joint motion, muscle spasm, interverbal disc injury, and ligament injury. They use a technique called motion and static palpation, including feeling for tightness, tenderness, and how well your spinal joints move. Chiropractors can analyze how you walk and evaluate your posture and spinal alignment. They may also order an x-ray or MRI of your spine to look for degenerative changes that may have existed before your injury. The images and evaluation are compared to develop the best treatment plan for you.

What Are the Stages of Whiplash Treatment?

The first step after whiplash occurs is called the acute phase. During this phase, your chiropractor will work on reducing neck inflammation. This is done using various therapy modalities, gentle stretching, and manual therapy techniques. Your chiropractor might also recommend that you apply an ice pack to your neck or use a light neck support for a short time. Once your neck becomes less inflamed and the pain begins to decrease, they can perform gentle spinal manipulation or other chiropractic techniques to restore the normal motion of your neck’s facet joints.

What Types of Chiropractic Whiplash Treatments Are Offered?

The types of chiropractic whiplash treatments are based on the severity of your injury. Spinal manipulation is the most common chiropractic technique. Some spinal manipulation techniques include:

• Flexion-distraction technique – This hands-on technique uses gentle spinal manipulation. Flexion-distraction helps to treat herniated discs. A slow pumping action on the disc is used instead of direct force.
• Instrument-assisted manipulation – Chiropractors often use this non-thrusting technique. They use a specialized hand-held instrument to apply force without thrusting your spine. This technique is used for older patients with a degenerative joint syndrome.
• Specific spinal manipulation – The spinal joints that are restricted or show abnormal motion are identified and treated to restore motion using a gentle thrusting technique. Specific spinal manipulation stretches soft tissue and stimulates the nervous system to help restore normal motion to the spine.
• Manual therapy – Your chiropractor may also use manual therapy to treat injured soft tissues such as ligaments and muscles. Instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy involves gentle repeated strokes by utilizing an instrument over an injured area. Manual joint stretching and resistance techniques involve muscle energy therapy. Therapeutic massage can ease muscle tension in the neck. Trigger point therapy involves identifying specific tight, painful points of muscles and applying direct pressure to alleviate muscle tension.
• Other therapies – Examples of other treatments your chiropractor may use to reduce neck inflammation caused by whiplash include interferential electrical stimulation and ultrasound.

Why Should I Choose Auto Injury Treatment Centers?

Now that you understand how important it is to see a chiropractor immediately following an auto accident, you need to choose one you can trust. Auto Injury Treatment Centers has 45 valley-wide locations throughout the Phoenix, AZ area. It is essential to visit us for your health and wellbeing, as well as for receiving compensation for your treatments, medical bills, and other damages after an auto accident. Our chiropractors will properly document your injuries and treatment, so you have the necessary documentation for an attorney or insurance company. We offer effective whiplash chiropractic treatment. Our auto injury treatment centers start with a comprehensive evaluation, including checking your range of motion in your shoulders and neck, tenderness in your neck, back, and shoulders, the degree of motion that causes or increases your pain, and the strength, reflexes, and sensation in your limbs. We are here to help you get help for your whiplash pain after your auto accident. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.