Chiropractic can help improve whiplash-associated injuries. This can occur in a variety of settings where any form of accelerated motion may cause the head and neck to jerk back-and-forth with tremendous force against the entire body. Trauma from a slip and fall or an accident from sports or physical activities have been demonstrated to result in neck injuries such as whiplash, however, automobile accident injuries are the most prevalent cause of whiplash-associated injuries.

The sudden thrust of the head can damage or injure the complex structures which surround the cervical spine, often leading to the severe irritation and inflammation of the tendons and ligaments in the neck. In addition, other tissues as well as the tendons and ligaments of the cervical spine may become overly stretched and torn.

A neck injury can be identified if the victim involved in an automobile accident experiences symptoms such as: neck pain and stiffness; worsening pain with movement; loss of range of motion in the neck; headaches, most generally originating at the base of the skull; tenderness or pain in the shoulder, upper back and/or arms; tingling or numbness in the upper extremities, fatigue and dizziness. Other symptoms include: blurred vision; ringing in the ears; sleep disturbances; irritability; difficulty concentrating; memory problems; and even anxiety and depression. While these are some of the most frequently reported symptoms associated with a whiplash injury, these symptoms may also suggest the presence of another type of injury or condition.

Therefore, it’s fundamental to seek immediate medical attention from a qualified auto accident injury specialist who can properly identify a whiplash or neck injury and follow with the recommended treatment to eliminate the painful symptoms and restore the individual’s overall health and wellness.

When searching for the healthcare professional with the right experience and qualifications to evaluate the individual’s specific injuries and conditions, its essential to also consider their geographical location in relation to the patient as well as determine what type of insurance they are covered by before deciding on which doctor to visit following an automobile accident injury. Furthermore, if the victim of an auto collision is being represented by a lawyer or if they are living in a state where PIP, or personal injury protection, is mandatory, these factors can also influence the individuals decision when choosing the right healthcare specialist for their specific circumstance.

 

 

Auto Injury Professionals

A broad number of people who’ve suffered auto accident injuries fail to receive the proper kind of medical care they require, most frequently among whiplash victims. It has been previously determined that the outcome of the patient’s rehabilitation depends on the type of doctor they receive care from.

Many individuals who’ve been involved in an auto collision, regardless of the severity of the collision, will generally visit the emergency room, or ER, to have their injuries evaluated. The majority of ERs are designed to take patients out of life threatening situations. First, they immediately evaluate any visible injuries, such as open wounds and broken bones, treating them effectively on the spot. They may even prescribe medications to temporarily relieve the painful symptoms following a traffic collision. However, many victims are not treated for their whiplash injuries. The trained specialists from the ER, provide first-aid, X-rays and medications to remove individuals from life-threatening situations but they don’t readily treat soft-tissue injuries like whiplash. From there, patients are sent to see their primary care provider, or PCP, to receive an initial diagnosis for the rest of their injuries. Unfortunately, however, patients may still face hardships to finally receive the proper care they deserve for their injuries.

Primary Care Providers & Auto Injuries

Many primary care providers are the first to see victims of automobile accidents, however, they’re not all specifically qualified to care for and treat auto injuries. Because of this, some healthcare providers may even deny patients treatment. For many years, whiplash-associated injuries have been misunderstood in the medical field. Many doctors believe whiplash is not a legitimate injury, however, those whom are experiencing the symptoms can account for how painful it can really be.

Other healthcare professionals may refuse treatment to victims of automobile accidents because they may not accept any form of 3^rd party billing, a paying method where the doctor seeing the auto collision victim has to bill the party at fault’s insurance company or utilize PIP or med pay to receive compensation. This is a commonly well-known reason for the treatment denial of automobile accident injury victims as a large number of primary care providers, also abbreviated as PCPs, still don’t have the required authorizations to accept 3^rd party billing.

Besides primary care providers or physicians, medical doctors, orthopedics, chiropractors and physical therapists are several types of qualified healthcare specialists which focus on treating automobile accident injuries, including whiplash-associated injuries. Among these, chiropractic care is one of the most popular, alternative treatment options for treating various soft tissue injuries or conditions such as whiplash, among other neck injuries.

Chiropractic Treatment for Neck Pain

Many people who are part of the legal and medical industry may disregard the idea of visiting a chiropractor to treat auto accident injuries. The fact is though, that chiropractors are some of the only doctors who offer therapeutic treatments to victims with whiplash-associated injuries. Treatment offered by medical doctors might include the use of drugs, although in many cases, they may also recommend physical therapy. This automatically highlights the importance of chiropractic care for whiplash victims because chiropractic care and physical therapy are very similar forms of treatment.

Whenever an individual who’s been involved in an automobile accident visits a chiropractor and complains of pain in the neck, the medical specialist will carry out a series of tests and assessments to determine whether the patient has experienced whiplash or may have developed other types of injuries or conditions as a result of the neck injury. Instead of focusing solely on the specific injury, chiropractors are trained to inspect the affected individual’s entire spine. Aside from soft tissue injuries, doctors of chiropractic may also check for: disc trauma or injury; tightness or tenderness; restricted mobility; muscle spasms; joint injuries; ligament injuries; posture and spinal alignment; as well as evaluate the individual’s gait.

Besides checking for the above mentioned symptoms, chiropractors might also request X-rays and MRI of the patient’s spine in order to find out whether the spine shows any degenerative changes which might have developed before the accident. To offer the best possible treatment, it is extremely important to determine which problems existed prior to the accident and which ones resulted from the accident. In most cases, insurance companies may argue that every single injury in the victim’s body is preexisting. This makes the role of the chiropractor considerably important as they will make sure to document all the previous and new injuries separately to ensure the insurance company pays for the patient’s treatment. In addition, the evaluation performed by the chiropractor also allows them to create the most effective treatment plan for each individual whiplash victim.

Treatment Process & Care

The primary concern for chiropractors treating individuals who’ve experienced whiplash-associated disorders involves alleviating the inflammation in the neck, one of the main sources of pain for victims. Chiropractors often recommend ice therapy, or the application of ice pack against the affected area, multiple times a day. This remedy is capable of reducing both pain and inflammation. Once the inflammation subsides, they often carry out a variety of manual therapeutic techniques to restore and increase the individual’s strength, flexibility and mobility.

The kind of chiropractic treatment the individual will require depends largely on the severity of the whiplash encountered. However, it has been previously determined that the majority of individual’s with whiplash find spinal manipulations useful. The most common chiropractic treatment techniques involve, spinal adjustments and manual manipulations, to carefully re-align the structures of the spine and help reduce symptoms. The following spinal techniques are also used to treat whiplash injuries:

Instrument-assisted, this treatment involves the use of handheld instruments to provide a gentle massage by applying force onto the spine without utilizing any kind of thrust. Instrument-assisted chiropractic therapy is used mostly to treat older patients with degenerative joints; flexion-distraction, this technique involves the use of a non-thrusting motions, best described as a slow pumping action; specific spinal manipulation, this therapy involves the use of a mild thrusting technique and is mostly used for restoring motion to the affected joints. Specific spinal manipulation helps stretch the soft tissues, which makes the job of restoring motion to the affected areas of the spine easier; instrument-assisted chiropractic therapy, also known as the Graston Technique, is used during this form of chiropractic therapy to perform repetitive strokes on the injured body part; therapeutic massage, performed to ease muscle tension and stress in the injured region; electrical stimulation, where a patient undergoing this type of therapy will see the chiropractor passing electrical current at a very low frequency through their body. This low frequency current helps stimulate the muscles and reduces inflammation; trigger point therapies, as the name suggests, involves the application of direct pressure onto specific points to alleviating muscle tension; and finally ultrasound therapy, capable of decreasing stiffness, pain, and muscle spasms in the affected areas. When ultrasound is passed through the patient’s muscle tissues, it warms up the treated region and increases blood circulation.

Neck Injury and Auto Accidents

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Recovering with Chiropractic Care

In conclusion, chiropractors can help people who’ve been involved in an automobile accident recover from their injuries and conditions in various ways. These specialized health care providers can ensure that an individual’s neck injuries and their painful, associated symptoms may decrease entirely. Chiropractors are experienced and qualified to develop the most appropriate treatment plans according to each individual’s needs in order to make the process of recovery easier.

Aside from recommending treatment as soon as possible to reduce the acute pain and discomfort, as well as the irritation and inflammation which may have resulting from the auto accident injury, the chiropractor might recommend an additional series of stretches and exercises, to help speed up the rehabilitation process and increase the individual’s strength, flexibility and mobility.

Whiplash-associated injuries, if left untreated, can cause severe complications. In the circumstance that you or a loved one have been involved in an automobile accident, it’s ultimately essential for you to visit a chiropractor immediately. By being prompt, you can even reduce your recovery time considerably. That’s not all, the doctor of chiropractic will also provide the required assistance to your lawyer, proving that the injury resulting from the accident wasn’t a preexisting injury or condition.

When you are injured in a car wreck, you must get acquainted with your rights as soon as possible to receive the proper compensation and treatment for your specific situation. There is no such thing as a minor car crash.

Many different types of injuries or conditions can developed following an automobile accident where they can become chronic or permanent if left untreated for an extended period of time. If an individual is experiencing neck stiffness or headaches after a traffic collision, it’s absolutely wrong to assume that the symptoms will subside on their own in a few days. A minor discomfort could turn out to be a much more serious complication. Often, people who’ve experienced an auto accident injury may develop scar tissue that remains with them throughout the rest of their lives. Without the necessary treatments, these can become stiff, greatly restricting an individual’s ability to move properly.

Chiropractors are known for managing soft tissue injuries and their symptoms. As a result, they are often considered to be the most suitable healthcare professionals to consult after an auto accident injury.

Chiropractic care has been utilized as an alternative treatment option for injuries or aggravated conditions resulting from an automobile accident. Aside from property damages and lost wages from missed days at work, an auto condition can have serious effects on an individual’s health if left untreated. Chiropractic focuses on restoring the victim’s original state of well-being as well as promoting a faster recovery.

For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.elpasobackclinic.com

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

Additional Topics: Headache After Auto Injury

After being involved in an automobile accident, the sheer force of the impact can cause damage or injury to the body, primarily to the structures surrounding the spine. Whiplash is a common result of an auto collision, affecting the bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and other tissues around it, causing symptoms such as head pain. Headaches are a common symptom after an automobile accident, which may require immediate medical attention to determine its source and follow through with treatment.

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