If you were hurt in a crash in the Lakeland, Florida area you need to contact a car accident chiropractor who can assess your injuries and provide the treatment you need. Whiplash is the most common frontal crash injury, but a sudden impact from any direction causes trauma to the neck, spine, low back, and pelvis. Some of the most common car crash spinal injuries our chiropractic office provides treatment for include: whiplash, lumbar disc herniation, thoracic sprain, broken vertebrae or spinal fractures, hip dislocation or sprain, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, nerve damage, spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, and spinal cord injuries.
You might may barely feel pain from the injury at first (sometimes not at all), but the sudden impact of even a minor crash often has long-standing effects that can be prevented with physical therapy and chiropractic care. Neck injuries start to occur at a change in speed of 2.5 mph, and the severity of the injuries often increase with the change in speed. We highly recommend that you consult with a licensed chiropractor for chiropractic care and physical therapy for car accident injuries.
Why Get Chiropractic Treatment After a Car Accident?
Severe spinal trauma, misalignment, and even whiplash can lead to long-term, chronic pain. Chiropractic care and physical therapy can offer significant pain relief and mobility issues caused by catastrophic crash injuries. For minor injuries like muscle pain and ligament strain or sprains, failing to treat the injuries early can lead to a chronic condition that takes far longer than necessary to heal.
Getting medical treatment from a chiropractor may help with future legal claims seeking compensation and reimbursement for medical bills. Our office can verify insurance coverage to see if your policy covers chiropractic treatment and physical therapy for car accident injuries.
Crash Injury Facts
Half of whiplash crash injuries happen in rear end accidents. Half of people who get whiplash in an accident are still feeling pain six months later. Nearly 2.5 million Americans were injured in auto accidents according to the NHTSA. 70% of people who visited the ER after a crash were still experiencing pain from their injuries six weeks later. If you sustained even a minor injury in a collision, you should get evaluated by an experienced car accident chiropractor that can provide effective treatment and physical therapy to speed your recovery.
Whiplash Diagnosis
Whiplash is the most common injury in auto accidents. The injury happens when micro tears, strains, and sprains occur in the ligaments, muscles, and soft tissue of the neck. Half of whiplash injuries occur in rear-end collisions, when the head driver or passenger’s head is suddenly thrust forward at a speed of 2.5 mph or more.
Whiplash: The Invisible Injury
Whiplash injuries are often not felt by the victim right after the accident; the symptoms become noticeable hours or days later. That’s why you should seek a medical evaluation after even a slight fender bender accident. If a medical professional diagnoses you with whiplash, they will almost always recommend that you see a chiropractor for treatment and physical therapy.
Chiropractic Whiplash Treatment
Whiplash treatment often involves a combination of therapy including:
- • cervical spine adjustment
- • thoracic spine adjustment
- • OTC anti-inflammatory and pain reducing medication (like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium)
- • chiropractic physical therapy to strengthen, stabilize, and stretch muscles and ligaments
- • chiropractic massage therapy to relieve pain, reduce scar tissue, and inflammation.
Neck and Back Pain Diagnosis
Neck and back pain are among the most common complaints after a person is injured in a car accident. Depending on the severity of your pain when you seek medical attention, a chiropractor may order x-rays to determine the extent of your injuries and check for fractures. The chiropractor will physically examine your neck and spine and discuss your medical background to arrive at a diagnosis.
Neck and Back Pain: From mild muscle injuries to fractured bones
Similar to whiplash, the pain associated with common neck and back injuries may take serval hours or several days to emerge. Injuries that can lead to neck and back pain after a car accident include whiplash, disc injuries, bone fractures, and soft tissue injuries. It is imperative to seek medical attention if you feel any amount of neck or back pain or after an accident. Soft tissue damage can weaken the muscles that support the neck and back, putting you at a greater risk for more severe injuries.
Chiropractic Neck and Back Pain Treatment
A chiropractor will design a therapeutic treatment schedule for your neck or back pain to strengthen damaged tissue and provide pain relief. Common chiropractic treatments for neck and back pain may include:
- • Neck adjustment
- • Flexion distraction
- • Spinal manipulation
- • Chiropractic strengthening exercises
- • Chiropractic massage
Broken Vertebrae and Spinal Fractures Diagnosis.
If you have back pain that tends to get worse when standing or walking or you suspect you have a broken vertebra or spinal fracture it is crucial to seek medical attention. A chiropractor will diagnosis your condition by examining the spine and checking for acute pain or sensitivity near specific vertebrae. X-rays are usually required to confirm the diagnosis and the severity of the fracture.
Broken Vertebrae and Spinal Fractures: Compression Fractures That Can Lead to Debilitating Pain
Broken vertebrae and spinal fractures are often called compression fractures. Unlike broken ankles or broken arms, compression fractures in the spine occur when more stress is put on a bone, in this case a vertebra, than the bone can tolerate. The resulting fracture can pinch nerves in the spinal cord and may cause tiny bone fragments to damage nerves or the spine. These bone fragments, if left untreated, can cause painful, secondary injuries that may require more invasive treatment or surgery.
Chiropractic Broken Vertebrae and Spinal Fractures Treatment
Chiropractic treatment of broken vertebrae and spinal fractures employs several stages including, acute pain management, decompression, and physical therapy to avoid secondary injuries or reinjury to the vertebra. Therapeutic treatment plans are tailored to the lifestyle and physical abilities of the individual patient but often include:
- • Spine stabilization devices such as braces
- • Spinal decompression
- • Chiropractic massage
- • Strength building therapies to prevent reinjury
Spinal Cord Injury Diagnosis
A spinal cord injury occurs when the spinal cord in damaged resulting in a loss of function, sensation, or paralysis. If you have sustained a spinal cord injury you may experience acute back pain, loss of movement in the upper or lower body, loss of sensitivity in the limbs to heat and cold, numbness in your extremities, the inability to control your bladder or bowels. If you experience any of these symptoms after a car accident, you need to seek emergency medical treatment. A doctor will order an x-ray, CT scan, or MRI to confirm your injury and assess the severity.
Spinal Cord Injury: A Life-Altering Diagnosis
Car accidents cause nearly 40 percent of all spinal cord injuries, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. There is no way to reverse damage to the spinal cord, but ongoing research, therapeutic treatments, and technology are improving the prognosis for spinal cord injury patients.
Chiropractic Spinal Cord Injury Treatment
Chiropractic care for spinal cord injuries typically works in conjunction with traditional medical treatment and begins after the injury has stabilized. Chiropractic treatments may include:
- • Targeted massage to improve circulation and range of motion
- • Vertebrae adjustments
- • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
- • Exercise therapy to strengthen supportive muscle groups
Spinal Stenosis Diagnosis
Not all spinal stenosis patients experience painful symptoms. In fact, many may have the condition without knowing it. For those who do experience symptoms, indications may include neck and lower back pain, weakness in the arms or legs, or numbness or tinging in the spine. A definitive diagnosis may require x-rays, CT scan, or MRI
Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the Spinal Column
Acute trauma to the neck and back from a car accident can lead to spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a condition marked by the narrowing of the spinal canal and a reduction in the space between vertebrae. After an accident, this is caused by fractures and inflammation in the spine. If left untreated, spinal stenosis pain can worsen, causing a decline in physical activity and diminishing strength in the spine and back.
Chiropractic Spinal Stenosis Treatment
f you have been diagnosed with spinal stenosis, chiropractic can offer a holistic, non-invasive approach to help relieve your symptoms and retain strength and rand of motion. Chiropractic treatments for spinal stenosis may include:
- • Flexion distraction
- • Electrotherapy
- • Individualized exercise plan
Spinal Misalignment or Subluxation Diagnosis
The term spinal misalignment or subluxation describes a condition in which the position of one or more vertebra is altered. Symptoms of subluxation may include headaches, pain or stiffness in the back or neck, or tingling or numbness in the legs or arms. A chiropractor can diagnose a spinal subluxation through physical examination of the spine and may request x-rays or other imaging to confirm the diagnosis.
Spinal Misalignment or Subluxation: A Partial Dislocation
Traumatic injuries like car accidents can cause dislocation between vertebrae. When you think of a joint dislocation you may imagine two independently moving parts that are no longer joined. When considering joints like the knee or shoulder, that is a relatively accurate assessment. However, the dislocation that occurs in the vertebrae through subluxation is a partial dislocation whereby in vertebra is out of alignment with the neighboring vertebrae. This misalignment can cause decreased range of motion, pain, and stiffness.
Chiropractic Spinal Misalignment or Subluxation Treatment
Because of the subtle nature of spinal misalignment, you need a chiropractor who is highly skilled in spinal adjustment. Spinal adjustments and spine-strengthening exercises can offer pain relief and prevent further injury.
Slipped or Herniated Disc – Diagnosis
If you’ve been in a car accident, injury can happen to your spinal discs as a result of the impact. Symptoms of a herniated disc include acute pain at the location of the disc, arm or leg pain, weakness in the arms or legs, numbness or tingling. A chiropractor will conduct a physical examination to diagnose the cause of your pain. While an X-ray will not spot a slipped disc, your doctor may order X-rays to rule out other spinal injuries.
Slipped or Herniated Disc: A Painful Protrusion Against the Nerves
Intravertebral discs are like cushions between your vertebrae. A slipped or herniated disc occurs when one of these intervertebral discs swells or tears. As the injury causes the disc to bulge or swell, the disc then presses against the nerves in your spine causing localized pain and often affecting the part of the body served by the impacted nerves.
Chiropractic Slipped or Herniated Disc Treatment
A chiropractor will develop a treatment program tailored to your specific needs that may include:
- • Chiropractic adjustment
- • Spinal decompression
- • Chiropractic massage
- • Rehabilitation exercises to strengthen supportive muscles
Spondylolisthesis Diagnosis
Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a vertebrae, usually in the lower back, slips forward and on to the bone below it. A traumatic injury, like a car accident, can lead to this painful condition. Symptoms of spondylolisthesis include lower back pain, leg pain, stiff ness in the lower back and legs, difficulty lifting straight legs, and tight hamstrings. A chiropractor will conduct a physical examination and examine medical history to diagnose this condition and may order X-rays to rule out other injuries.
Spondylolisthesis: A Common Condition in Chiropractic Treatment
Spondylolisthesis can be caused by traumatic events, like a car accident, sports injuries, congenital defects, or overuse. The condition is categorized into four “grades” depending on the degree of slippage in the vertebra, with a grade 1 being relatively minor slippage and grade 4 being quite severe. While the condition is comparatively common, it can cause debilitating pain that may prevent you from performing simple daily tasks.
Chiropractic Spondylolisthesis Treatment
Chiropractic therapies for spondylolisthesis can to encourage the vertebrae back into place without the use of invasive procedures or surgeries. Chiropractic treatments may include:
- • Spinal manipulation
- • Spinal decompression
- • Chiropractic massage
- • Stabilization devices such as back braces
- • Strengthening exercises
What are the Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment After an Accident?
Why Chiropractic Therapy?
Non-Invasive Therapy
Chiropractic treatment is non-invasive, so there is much lower risk of complications than there would be with invasive procedures like surgery, injections, and/or prescription drugs. Surgical treatment may lead to months of painful rehabilitation, including a medical referral for chiropractic care anyway.
It makes far more sense to simply seek out chiropractic care first, then explore more invasive surgical options later if necessary. Most patients prefer to leave surgery as their last resort option.
Avoiding surgery also eliminates the need for pain relief from prescription drugs, which further increase risk of complications including allergic reaction, overdose, addiction, or other side effects. A significant number of people suffering from opioid addiction first took prescription pain medication after a car accident.
Many patients experience significant pain relief with chiropractic therapy, making prescription and over-the-counter drugs unnecessary. However, some doctors and patients find that a combination of chiropractic treatment and prescription medication are the best choice for them. Every situation and individual are unique.
Car accidents cause soft tissue injuries from acceleration/deceleration, resulting in micro-tears and scar tissue within the body’s muscles and ligaments that typically take much longer to heal than bone fractures. After taking an X-ray, MRI, or other diagnostic scan to comprehensively assess your auto collision injuries, a chiropractor can recommend a holistic treatment method to reduce inflammation, promoting faster healing and recovery.
Spine realignment reduces inflammation and, by extension, relieves pain in the body. Breaking up scar tissue with adjustments, stretching, physical therapy to strength and stabilize, and massage therapy also promote faster healing for the patient.
Broken bones, deep lacerations, and bleeding injuries after a car accident are impossible to ignore. However, symptoms of some of the most common crash injuries take days and even weeks to fully manifest. This is especially true for injuries like whiplash, which if not treated early on, could exacerbate other injuries and avoidable chronic conditions associated with long-term pain.
A clinical diagnosis of your specific injury by a licensed medical professional not only helps, it is typically necessary if you decide to pursue any type of legal claim against the party who caused your injuries. Full documentation can help your personal injury lawyer maximize your possible compensation.
Injured accident victims may choose to file a personal injury claim against a party or parties, sometimes resulting in the other party’s insurance company paying for chiropractic care post-accident. Sometimes it’s necessary to file a legal claim against the driver at fault, or the manufacturer of the faulty or recalled automotive part that caused your crash. If you decide to pursue a legal claim, it is essential that you seek treatment immediately after the car accident and that you save all of the documentation for your attorney. A medical diagnosis is also typically necessary to establish a baseline for the damages (compensation for chiropractic care and suffering) your attorney will ask for.
Delaying chiropractic treatment for car accident injuries jeopardized both your physical health and legal claim, so don’t allow either to worsen before seeking the chiropractic care your body needs.If you do not yet have a personal injury lawyer, we happily provide referrals to put you in touch with personal injury lawyers who are experienced with car accident cases in Florida.
The stiffness and intense pain associated with common car accident injuries can cause significant reduction of your neck, back, shoulder, hip, ankle, and head’s range of motion. A car accident chiropractor gives patients spinal adjustment that restores the body’s natural range of motion by mobilizing the spine, which also promotes fast and natural bodily healing processes.
Contact Our Chiropractor for Treatment & Physical Therapy
Call now to schedule an appointment with our local chiropractor at New City Chiropractic in Lakeland, Florida. If you or a loved one were injured in an auto accident, you need to see a doctor that treats the whole patient. You will most likely need treatment and physical therapy for your injuries, and we want to help. We have experiencing treating the whole family, and look forward to helping you get well.