After being involved in an auto accident, it could be weeks before the full effects of the trauma present. Visiting a chiropractor after an auto injury can help the body heal quicker and helps to prevent further injury. Benefits include:

• Inflammation is reduced
• It is non-Invasive
• It is highly effective for pain treatment
• Helps to lessen and avoid pain medications
• Treats whiplash effectively
• Reduces stress
• Promotes quicker healing and recovery time
• Reduces and prevents scar tissue

Especially for those that believe they are okay after an accident, it is highly recommended to get checked by a doctor of chiropractic just in case. This can help prevent more serious issues from developing.

Injury From An Accident

There could be a wide range of injuries that an individual can suffer after an accident. These include:

Soft and Hard Tissue Injuries

• Minor scrapes
• Bruising/Contusions
• Whiplash
• Neck/Back injuries
• Concussions
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Fractures
• Broken bones
• Internal Bleeding
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Burns

Chiropractic After Auto Injury

During an auto accident, the joints in various parts of the body are often jolted, shaken, and banged up. This damages the joints and the spine. Chiropractors specialize in treating these types of injuries. Chiropractic is a full-body approach that also includes inflammation alleviation and long-term injury therapy.

Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s natural reaction to trauma. But inflammation and swelling that doesn’t go away can be detrimental to an individual’s health. Chiropractic treats the underlying injury reducing swelling for the body to heal in an optimal fashion. Because inflammation causes pain, chiropractic addresses inflammation, and pain in different ways. These include:

• Heat and ice therapy
• Massage
• Physical rehabilitation
• Anti-inflammatory diet
• Ultrasound therapy
• Cold laser therapy

The quicker chiropractic treatment is put into effect after an auto injury, the faster an individual can get back to normal.

Effective Pain Treatment

The spine can experience intense trauma after a car accident. This can cause it to slip out of alignment leading to pain in the back muscles. Auto injuries that result in a bulging or herniated disc that is pressing on a nerve can generate pain that can spread out to the:

• Head
• Neck
• Shoulders
• Arms
• Abdomen
• Legs

Chiropractic adjusting will bring the spine back into alignment, and treat the cause of the pain. This helps prevent/avoid long-term issues and complications that go with surgery or medications.

Whiplash Treatment

Whiplash is a common injury after an auto accident. The pain can take days or weeks to present. Without treatment, long-term whiplash injuries can become a chronic condition. Whiplash is an injury to the muscles and ligaments of the neck. Common treatment options include:

• Massage
• Spinal manipulation
• Trigger Point exercises
• McKenzie exercises
• Stretching

Reduce Stress and Promote Healing

Even minor auto injuries can cause massive stress in one’s life. Dealing with the insurance, getting the car fixed, and dealing with the pain can take a serious toll. Chiropractic can help reduce stress through therapeutic massage which promotes optimal blood flow, which helps flush toxins and speeds up the healing of damaged and stressed muscles.

InBody

Snack Benefits

Fullness and Satisfaction

• Snacking can help to stay full between meals
• Feeling satisfied between meals helps to avoid excessive hunger and prevents overeating
• Certain types of snacks will help avoid hunger between meals

An example is almonds have more influence on satisfaction when eaten as a snack, instead of with a meal. And high-protein yogurt promotes healthy satisfaction more than chocolate or crackers.

Metabolism

Eating a high-protein diet has shown to increase the body’s Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This process uses a lot of energy, meaning the body burns more calories when eating a high-protein snack.

Body Composition

For those wanting to build muscle, a high-protein diet is recommended. This is because when exercising muscle is broken down. Protein from the diet has amino acids that repair and rebuild Skeletal Muscle Mass. High-protein snacks can help meet protein recommendations to build Skeletal Muscle Mass.

Post-Workout

A healthy snack is perfect for replenishing the body’s energy after a workout. Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy, and protein helps repair the muscle fibers that were broken down. For top results, look for a snack that offers a balance of carbohydrates and protein.

Dr. Alex Jimenez’s Blog Post Disclaimer

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas& New Mexico*

References

National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. (2020) “Spinal Cord Injury: Facts and Figures at a Glance.” www.nspine injurysc.uab.edu/Public/Facts%20and%20Figures%202020.pdf

Kelsey L Corcoran, DC, Lori A Bastian, MD, Craig G Gunderson, MD, Catherine Steffens, Alexandria Brackett, MA, MLIS, Anthony J Lisi, DC, Association Between Chiropractic Use and Opioid Receipt Among Patients with Spinal Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Pain Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 2, February 2020, Pages e139–e145, doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnz219

www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1836955315000582