Every year, more than 3 million people become injured in motor vehicle accidents. Car accident injuries can potentially result in lost wages, mounting medical bills, and permanent injuries. If you get in a car accident and you aren’t sure what course of action to take to minimize your chances of permanent injuries, you may want to see a chiropractor in addition to your regular doctor or physical therapist. There are many benefits of chiropractic care, especially after a car accident.
Whether you have been to a chiropractor before or this will be your first time, you’re likely making a decision that will be good for your health and comfort. Here are five benefits of seeing a chiropractor soon after an auto accident.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care after an Auto Accident Injury
1. Pain Reduction
It is natural to experience pain after a car accident. Pain is the body’s way of indicating something is wrong. Unfortunately, pain following a collision can be long-lasting and debilitating. If you are looking for ways to relieve your discomfort, you may want to see a car accident chiropractor.
The American College of Physicians recommends using massage, acupuncture, heat, and spinal manipulation for low back pain. Your chiropractor may be able to provide you with some or all of these services.
But chiropractic treatment isn’t just for lower back pain sustained after a car crash. According to a study published in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine, chiropractic treatment of patients with whiplash provided improved results in 74% of patients. Other studies further illustrate the pain-relieving benefits of chiropractic services for people involved in automobile collisions.
2. Improved Mobility
Stiffness and decreased joint mobility and flexibility are common complaints after car crashes. Auto accident chiropractors are aware of this and know what techniques to use to work toward improving mobility.
Chiropractors use a variety of techniques to improve mobility, including:
- Spinal manipulation
- Stretching exercises
- Chiropractic massage
These techniques and others can help improve muscle and joint mobility so you can walk and move more freely. It is important to note that it may take time to notice improvements, depending on the severity of your condition. But your chiropractor can provide you with a customized treatment plan designed to get you back on the path toward greater flexibility and improved mobility as soon as possible.
3. Better-Quality Sleep
One of the potential benefits of chiropractic care after a car accident is better sleep. Traumatic experiences (such as motor vehicle accidents) can negatively impact the amount and quality of sleep the affected person receives. Sleep quality can decline immediately after an accident (when adrenaline may still be high). But its impact is not always temporary.
Some people experience sleep issues for weeks, months, or years after a serious accident. This may be a direct result of post-traumatic stress disorder (more commonly known as PTSD). There are several things you can do to improve your quality of sleep after an accident, including:
- Create a comfortable sleep environment (with cool temperatures, a weighted blanket, a dim nightlight, etc.)
- Take short (10 – 20 minute) naps as needed if you are unable to sleep well the night before
- Turn off electronic devices at least an hour before bed to limit exposure to highly stimulating blue light
- Take a warm bath before bed or establish some other type of relaxing bedtime routine
- Limit caffeine intake to no more than two cups of coffee per day, and avoid caffeinated beverages after 3:00 p.m.
- Schedule regular chiropractic adjustments
The last item on the list may surprise you, but research shows that visiting a car accident chiropractor can, indeed, improve sleep quality and duration. There are a few ways it can potentially do this for you.
First, chiropractic adjustments can potentially release tension that has built up in your body. This could make it easier for your body to drift off to sleep at night. Second, chiropractic adjustments can help relieve some of the discomforts causing your sleep issues in the first place. Third, a chiropractor may be able to recommend different sleeping positions, sleeping pillows, or other tools that could potentially help you fall asleep more easily at night.
4. Future Injury Prevention
Many people who get in car accidents make the mistake of thinking they don’t need any care because they don’t experience immediate pain. However, it is not unusual for physical pain to manifest itself days or weeks after a collision. It can take time for the body to signal that it’s injured and requires care.
When you visit auto accident chiropractors soon after your collision, you decrease your likelihood of developing more severe symptoms down the road. This is one of the most notable benefits of chiropractic care after an accident. Leaving seemingly minor injuries untreated because you underestimate their seriousness could result in long-term pain and disabilities in the future. Most people would agree it is not worth taking that kind of health risk when you could potentially avoid future injuries by scheduling regular chiropractic visits.
5. Headache Reduction
Headaches are quite common after car accidents. Sometimes they occur immediately afterward. But in other instances, they may develop over time. Studies show that chiropractic care may help relieve the frequency and severity of headaches.
Our experienced chiropractors use a variety of techniques for headache treatment. Your car accident chiropractor may perform a spinal adjustment to your neck and your back. He or she may also massage the impacted areas or apply heat or ice as needed to relieve discomfort and inflammation. Your chiropractor may also recommend stretches, exercises, and stress-management techniques to help relieve your headache symptoms.
Discover the Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Auto Accident Treatment
Whether you have recently gotten in a car crash or you are still dealing with injuries from an old collision, you can experience the benefits of chiropractic care for yourself. Regular chiropractic treatments may help reduce your pain, improve your mobility, and help you in a variety of other ways. To schedule your appointment with experienced auto accident chiropractors, contact Bayside Physical Therapy, Chiropractic & Acupuncture today.
Sources:
https://www.driverknowledge.com/car-accident-statistics/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1355297X.1999.11719898
https://chiro-trust.org/advanced/symptomatic-classification-whiplash-injury-implications-treatment/
https://startsleeping.org/trauma-and-sleep/#how
https://www.chirohealthusa.com/patients/the-link-between-chiropractic-care-and-sleep/