Auto
Injuries

Chiropractic Care for Auto Injuries

Auto accidents in Gwinnett County are more common than one anticipates, and the disruption an accident can have on your life is always more complex than one ever imagines. The unfortunate reality is that these collisions leave the involved parties with lasting injuries in most cases. The severity of the injuries may vary, and it is critical that the appropriate medical care is given to the injuries incurred. People primarily only associate severe auto accident injuries with those that involve the extreme scenarios. However, some accident injuries are less obvious but just as serious. The force of trauma from the impact alone necessitates a medical evaluation to determine the integrity of your spine and soft-tissue, which is where the most common and long-term pain occurs. Without proper medical attention, the affected musculoskeletal region can degenerate rapidly and develop excessive scar tissue and adhesions that will cause other related pain and symptoms down the line. Pain and symptoms from these injuries can be delayed anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks, and they are not an accurate measure of the severity of your condition. This is why it is absolutely critical to be seen by a medical professional as soon as possible following a car accident.

Chiropractors are among the best and most capable medical professionals for non-emergent auto accident injuries. Based on a thorough evaluation, chiropractors will personalize a treatment plan that will treat the pain, inflammation, spinal subluxation, muscle spasm, and ligament tears that may be present.

At Sugarloaf Pain & Rehab, your customized care plan consists of both chiropractic and advanced physiotherapy treatments to ensure your best possible outcome. Through this comprehensive approach, our chiropractors are able to treat the injuries as a whole to ensure the best possible long-term recovery.

Types of Back Pain After an Auto Accident

Back pain is very common, and it is estimated that upwards 85 percent of Americans suffer back pain to some degree during their lifetime. It is important to remember that not all back pains are alike. It is vital that the treatment administered for your back pain is customized according to the cause and presentation of your condition; even more so when it is related to an auto accident.

Why do you have back pain after a car accident?

Back pain following an auto accident is expected, due to the sheer amount of force that has been exerted onto your back and spine. If the spine is in duress from sedentary activities, you can imagine how traumatic an auto accident will be. Auto accident related back pain is typically caused by these common injuries: 

Whiplash. Whiplash is the most reported car crash injury. Whiplash pain is often associated with neck and upper back symptoms, but it is also common for the low back. It occurs due to the rapid back-and-forth motion of the affected spinal area that results in tears to the ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, and discs. 

Sprains and Strains. Sprains and strains to the lumbar spine are common as well. In this instance, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments are overstretched and, sometimes, torn from the force of impact. This type of injury manifests as acute low back pain, muscle spasms, and tightness.

Subluxation. Subluxation is the term for spinal misalignment. The spine undergoes trauma from the force of impact, and the vertebrae will become partially dislocated. The misalignment often compresses the spinal cord and nerves, resulting in pain and symptoms, such as numbness and weakness. 

Car accidents can also cause other serious back injuries, including herniated spinal disc and joint injury. These types of injuries also cause debilitating low back pain that may require more invasive treatment approaches. 

Signs and symptoms to look out for after an accident include:

  • Back Pain

  • Tingling & Numbness

  • Tightness

  • Restricted range of motion

  • Dizziness

  • Nausea

  • Fatigue

  • Headache

Why Chiropractic Care Is Important After an Auto Injuries

Chiropractic focuses first and foremost on the restoration and integrity of the spine and other musculoskeletal structures. The spine encapsulates the nervous system through which the signals from your brain are transmitted to the rest of the body. A great deal of force is exerted onto the spine during an auto accident, often resulting in misalignments to varying degrees in one or multiple areas of the spine. 

Even the slightest misalignment in your spinal vertebrae can have huge ramifications. The spinal cord is the highway for your nervous system, and it weaves in and out of the spinal column. Each network of nerves exiting the spine is associated with a particular function within the body. As such, when the spinal column itself is compromised, the corresponding nerves are affected and usually results in pain symptoms. The misplacement of the vertebral joint also restricts the range of motion. Patients who suffer from this condition experience difficulty performing their daily tasks, as a result.

Chiropractic adjustments involve a gentle manual manipulation to correct the misalignment. There are multiple techniques a chiropractor can utilize to achieve this, and customizing the technique according to the patient’s need is vital for the best result. The spine needs to be restored after a forceful trauma to enable the best recovery. Chiropractic spinal adjustment has been shown to provide pain alleviation and also prevent long-term degenerative changes. 

After years of training and experience, the doctors at Sugarloaf Pain & Rehab believe that the best type of chiropractic treatment following an auto accident is a complete care approach that addresses the soft-tissue damage simultaneously with the vertebral subluxation. With heavy integration of physiotherapy and advanced manual therapies they also treat the ligamentous damage, the nerve entrapments, muscle spasms, and scar tissue formation that is typical with auto accident. 

Auto accident Injuries Chiropractors can treat include:

  • Whiplash
  • Neck Pain
  • Back Pain
  • Numbness and Tingling
  • Headaches
Call to schedule your free evaluation today
770-817-3399.
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