If you are a passenger or driver involved in a car accident, are you aware of the signs you may need to see a chiropractor? Call (609) 799-8444 to schedule an appointment with a chiropractor at Align Health & Wellness.
According to the CDC, over 2 million people in the United States sustain injuries from traffic accidents every year. In the aftermath of a car accident, chiropractic care may help relieve neck pain, back pain, headaches, and more. At Align Health & Wellness, our chiropractors treat patients suffering from car accident injuries like whiplash and spinal pain.
Although it may not be the first thing accident victims think of, chiropractors can help relieve pain and discomfort following an accident using various techniques. Here, we explain the signs that you should consider seeing a chiropractor after a car accident.
Why See a Chiropractor?
Chiropractic care is an increasingly common part of American life. An article by Harvard Health Publishing reported that 85% of Americans have back pain on at least one occasion. In 2018, over 10% of Americans reported seeing a chiropractor within the preceding 12 months, according to the research firm Statista.
Some people routinely see a chiropractor as part of a comprehensive plan to achieve physical and mental wellness. Other patients seek care, sometimes for the first time, due to a traumatic injury such as a traffic accident.
Chiropractic treatments can help patients relax and achieve balance after a traumatic event, including a car accident. The physical and mental changes that occur during chiropractic treatment can make it easier to cope and heal.
A recent review in Pain Medicine found that patients receiving chiropractic care showed a 64% lower likelihood of using opioid medications.
6 Signs That You Could Benefit From Chiropractic Treatment
Many Americans seek chiropractic care for car accident injuries. If you are in a car crash, you should not overlook other signs you need a chiropractor.
1. Neck Pain
Neck pain affects your quality of life in many ways. Joint stiffness and a reduced range of movement can make everyday activities like driving difficult. If the neck muscles cannot support the spine effectively, they can damage the discs and vertebrae in the cervical spine.
Sometimes neck pain can indicate serious problems with the arteries that could be life-threatening. A chiropractor can tell you which problems will respond to chiropractic techniques and which ones require care in an emergency room.
2. Back Pain
Car accidents can push vertebrae out of alignment, causing herniated discs and narrowing of the spinal column, which leads to back pain and pain that radiates to the hips and legs.
3. Headaches
A recent article in Forbes magazine identified the following causes of headaches after a traffic accident.
- Whiplash
- Concussion
- Pinched nerves
- Muscle injuries
- Herniated disks
- Broken bones
An experienced chiropractor can identify the specific cause or causes of head pain after a traffic accident to help patients get the proper treatment. Problems with neck alignment can manifest as headaches and pain that radiates through the neck and shoulders.
4. Vision Problems
Many people who sustain traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or cervical spine injuries after car accident experience blurred vision or difficulty tracking objects. These can be signs you need a chiropractor.
Chiropractic care may relieve some visual symptoms by improving blood flow from the neck to the brain. If you have any problems with your vision, visiting a chiropractor could help you understand whether chiropractic treatments can help.
5. Auditory Problems
Many patients experience ringing in the ears or tinnitus. Research at the University of Bridgeport found that chiropractic treatment for tinnitus can reduce the intensity of tinnitus, improve quality of life and help patients sleep better.
Your chiropractor can help you understand the changes to your hearing after your accident and determine whether manipulations to the cervical spine and other therapeutic techniques could improve your hearing.
6. Problems with Memory and Loss of Focus
Researchers have identified head trauma from traffic accidents as a cause of amnesia. Many effects of traumatic brain injury can interfere with memory and attention. As a traumatic injury heals, inflammation can cause problems with cognition, and inadequate blood flow can reduce the brain’s supply of oxygen.
The psychological effects of loss from a car accident, lack of sleep, and post-traumatic stress can also interfere with the ability to remember information or concentrate. These problems, in turn, can interfere with a patient’s ability to take medication, adhere to an at-home exercise regimen, maintain a social support network, and obtain regular chiropractic and medical care.
How Can a Chiropractor Help After an Auto Accident?
Techniques of spinal manipulation can improve many conditions that arise as a result of a car crash, including poor posture, limited range of motion, insomnia, pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and more. Individual results and experiences vary, so you will not know for sure whether a chiropractor can help you until a chiropractor has examined you.
The psychological and physical effects of an accident can reinforce one another. Chiropractic adjustments that address both the mind and body are often helpful for patients recovering from traffic accident injuries.
The versatility of chiropractic medicine means that many medical and psychological symptoms can be signs you need a chiropractor as part of your overall treatment plan.
Visit Align Health & Wellness, the Top Chiropractor in West Windsor, NJ
Patients who experience neck pain, back pain, concussions, whiplash injuries, or other injuries to the spine or nervous system could benefit from chiropractic treatment as soon as possible after their accident.
Align Health & Wellness is here for you if you need a compassionate NJ car accident doctor. Our doctors accept most insurance plans, including New Jersey PIP (personal injury protection), no-fault, and workers’ compensation. Same-day appointments may be available.
If you were involved in a motor vehicle accident and notice any of the signs you need a chiropractor, call Align Health & Wellness at (609) 799-8444 today.