If you are still in pain days or weeks after an auto accident. Call (609) 799-8444 to schedule an appointment for chiropractic care at our clinics in West Windsor, NJ or Allentown, NJ.
According to the 2020 NHTSA Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes, over 2.2 million Americans sustained injuries severe enough to require treatment at the emergency room, and many people experience delayed pain after an accident.
If you have an injury, you might experience relief from pain, stiffness, or other symptoms by visiting a trained car accident chiropractor. Our chiropractic team of Align Health & Wellness explains why you might feel acute and chronic pain after a traffic accident and how chiropractic care can help.
Why You Might Experience Delayed Pain After an Accident
In addition to the acute pain that often follows a back or neck injury, your body’s response to injury can worsen your pain over time. A recent study by the AURORA Study Group found that two-thirds of patients admitted to the ER continued to experience pain eight weeks after the injury. Women and older patients were more likely to experience significant pain.
Inflammation often occurs after traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Swelling and internal bleeding can press on nerves or pull the spine out of alignment.
Spine and joint damage can lead to a reduction in the range of motion. If you have difficulty maintaining a normal posture after an accident, stress on your spine and hips could lead to damaged vertebrae and pinched nerves.
Over time, difficulty sleeping, financial worries about the accident, depression, and anxiety can exacerbate the physiological pain that you experience. The delayed pain after an accident can be a combination of mental and physical factors.
Treating Pain After an Accident Promptly Is Key
If physical pain makes it hard to maintain your healthy lifestyle, it could negatively affect your physical and psychological health. For example, a person who used to be active might have a more sedentary lifestyle due to delayed pain after motor vehicle accident injuries. The time they spend sitting on the couch or in their office puts additional stress on their neck, back, hips, and legs.
Some sources of pain naturally become more pronounced over time, particularly if treatment does not address the root cause. Routine activities and exercise put stress on joints and muscles. Older patients might need more time to heal from injuries and could experience more short-term pain after physical exertion.
You might experience more pain a few months after an accident than immediately afterward. Just because delayed pain after accident injuries is common does not mean it is inevitable. A complete course of medical treatment, including chiropractic care, can alleviate at least some sources of pain after your accident.
How a Chiropractor Can Help Patients Who Have Delayed Pain
Doctors of chiropractic have long known that seeking treatment can improve the healing process, often at a lower cost than traditional medical approach. A 2020 study in the journal Healthcare shows that chiropractic treatments saved patients an average of more than $48 compared to physical therapy and produced better outcomes. The road to recovery can be long after an accident, but it is never too late to get help.
Restoring Alignment
Chiropractors use techniques including spinal manipulations and impulse adjustments to restore proper spinal alignment and relieve pressure on nerves. Over time, chiropractic treatments can prevent the emergence of chronic pain after an injury.
Releasing Pinched Nerves
Neuropathic pain, or pain due to nerve damage, is often debilitating and difficult to diagnose because the pain can spread along nerve pathways. Pinched nerves can cause shooting leg, arm, hip, and shoulder pain. Pinched nerves in other locations can impair breathing, coordination, and digestion, leading to other symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments realign the musculoskeletal system to relieve pressure on nerves and reduce pain.
Improving Blood Flow
Some sources of pain, such as headaches and abdominal pain, arise because of constricted blood vessels. For many patients, weekly or monthly visits to a chiropractor improve circulation, leading to a reduction of symptoms and faster recoveries.
Improving Posture and Balance
One cause of repeated injury after an accident is walking or moving in a way that does not balance weight appropriately. Patients can have poor posture due to limited joint mobility and muscle stiffness. Treatment to improve flexibility and relieve pain are often necessary so a patient can relearn how to move in a healthy, ergonomic way.
If you are looking for a chiropractor to treat delayed pain after an accident, look for one with experience in auto accident injury rehab and a track record of successful treatment of delayed pain after an accident.
Other Practical Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor For Delayed Pain
Setting aside the therapeutic benefits of chiropractic treatment, there are many reasons to visit a chiropractor as soon as possible after the accident. They include the following:
- Obtaining the peace of mind of a diagnosis and of knowing that a trained physician is treating your symptoms.
- Seeking medical attention promptly often improves the legal position of accident victims who file lawsuits, insurance claims, or workers’ compensation claims relating to the car accident.
- Understanding the cause of your symptoms can help you avoid behaviors that might be making your symptoms worse.
- Planning for treatments, physical therapy, and other interventions early on, so that you do not have to change your daily routine midway through the recovery process.
Make an Appointment at Align Health & Wellness, a Trusted Chiropractor in West Windsor, NJ
Align Health & Wellness is a modern facility with a caring team, private rooms, and state-of-the-art equipment for the latest chiropractic therapy. We treat many physical conditions, including trauma from traffic accidents. We strive to help people get the care they need to attain full ecovery, improved quality of life, and an overall positive experience.
Our doctors accept most insurance plans, including NJ PIP (personal injury protection), no-fault, and workers’ compensation Same-day appointments may be available.
For more information about how seeing a chiropractor after an accident can help relieve delayed pain after a car accident. Call us at (609) 799-8444 to schedule an appointment at our West Windsor Township, NJ or Allentown, NJ office.