Car Accident Injuries Chiropractic Care | Safe & Effective Treatment

Before we get into how chiropractors treat neck pain from auto accident, we have to provide a brief overview of what it is that chiropractor’s do that is different which will provide long term results.

Doctors of Chiropractic are experts at diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal injuries. They recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as provide nutritional consultation and encourage life style changes. Most importantly, chiropractors educate their patients on what to do and how to do to prevent injuries from chronic pain. Their main form of treatment is through the adjustment which provides the body’s healing properties to work better in order to heal the injuries. They target the underlying factors triggering cervicalgia or neck pain.

Minor accidents can cause nagging chronic pain when the soreness is ignored. Most people believe that the soreness of the neck is part of the accident and it’s “normal.” You do not need to have severe pain or broken bones to have an “injury.” Often times, it’s the minor accident that creates the most problem because people do not get it treated properly at the time of the incident. Some minor accidents will take weeks, months, or even a year before it shows up. By then, it will be too late to prevent much greater loss of our health.

Types of Cervical Pain After an Auto Accident

1. Acute Neck Pain

Acute Neck Pain is due to muscle strains or other form of soft tissue sprain, whether on ligaments or tendons. This is cause by a sudden force from the impact of the cars, jerking the neck back and forth.  Chiropractic treatment for whiplash includes the following.

• Chiropractic Manipulation (Adjustment) – a primary treatment for joint dysfunction. Also known as chiropractic adjustment, a gentle mobilizing movement, gently moving the involved joint from its restricted direction. Below are the different types of adjustments that work well for certain patients.
  • Flexion-distraction technique is a gentle, hands-on spinal manipulation that’s involves a flexion and extension action on the intervertebral disc instead of direct force.
  • Instrument-assisted manipulation uses a hand-held instrument to allow chiropractor to apply force without the use of the hands

• Muscle relaxation and stimulation – consist of gentle stretches to the muscles with excessive tension or repeated contraction.
• Inferential electrical stimulation – uses a low frequency electrical current to stimulate neck muscles.
• Ultrasound sends – sound waves into your muscle tissues to help stiffness and pain in your neck.
• Mckenzie Exercises – was designed to reduce disk derangement related to whiplash. This allows patient to take part of own recovery.
• Stabilization or Sensorimotor Activities – designed to teach patient on stress reduction method. This corrects faulty movements in daily life routine and activities.
• Manual therapy – treatment of soft tissue and its affected areas to restore proper function for stability of the skeletal structure. Below are different manual therapies used to treat soft tissue.
  • Instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy uses special instruments to diagnose and treat muscle tension.
  • Manual joint stretching and resistance techniques can help reduce neck pain and other symptoms.
  • Therapeutic massage can help relax tense muscles.
  • Trigger point therapy used to relieve tight, painful points on a muscle.

2. Chronic Neck Pain

Chronic neck pain from car accident injuries in Jacksonville, FL shows common causes and symptoms:

• • Injuries that have left untreated and scar tissue build up

• • Herniated disc or foraminal stenosis causes neck pain that radiates to the arms

• • Cervical foraminal stenosis causes discomfort when there is impingement of one nerve root in one side of the spine can cause neck pain which is of a result of untreated neck soreness/pain at the time of incident

• • Cervical spinal stenosis with myelopathy (nerve damage) can cause arm pain resulting in weakness and lack of coordination. This is the inability to use motor skills and frequent intermittent shooting pains.

• • Cervical disc degeneration is when there is neck pain that persist for more than a few months and then suddenly fluctuates.

Why Timely Chiropractic Care Matters After a Car Accident

Chiropractic care for car accident injuries is a necessary to return to a pre-injury state.  If you want to prevent future chronic neck pain, treat your injury properly when it happens.  If you have further questions, please feel free to call or e-mail us and we’ll be sure to reply back within 48 hours.