Spine injuries in car accidents are often hard to spot and symptoms from whiplash may not show up until hours or days later. Over 36 percent of spinal cord injuries are caused by car accidents. Whiplash causes tiny tears in the muscles and ligaments around the spine that are difficult to see on an X-ray. These tiny tears tend to be the primary reason car accident victims find themselves in severe pain days afterwards despite apparently normal X-ray results.
Whiplash symptoms, caused by the common event of the head and neck whipping back and forth during a collision, may present as severe pain in the neck and upper back, as well as causing headache and dizziness. In general, you shouldn't wait to seek chiropractic treatment after a car accident.
A chiropractic doctor can manipulate your spine to realign it and cause your body to release a natural anti-inflammatory hormone to relieve pain and symptoms of inflammation. If you wait too long to get this treatment after a car accident, your symptoms may get worse and leave surgery as the only option. Chiropractic treatment is non-invasive and realigns the spine and joints.
Chiropractic treatments can also target muscle scar tissue and help break it down faster. When muscles stretch too far and then go back into place, they lose elasticity and that causes scar tissue. This scar tissue is what causes people to feel uncomfortable and stiff after a car accident.
Chiropractic treatment can restore range of motion and help prevent long-term injury or disability.
Another good reason to seek chiropractic care is to avoid having to use pain medications. Strong opiate pain medication may be prescribed after a car accident and it has addictive potential. Chiropractic treatment aids your body's natural systems to provide pain relief to your whole body.
If you’re reading this article because you or a loved one have recently been in a car accident, make an appointment at Spinal Dynamics by calling 208 888 0055 or filling out our contact form.
