Understanding Whiplash And The Impact Of Immediate Chiropractic Care in Houston
from an auto accident is something that is frequently misunderstood, but anyone who has been in a car accident and is considering chiropractic care needs to understand the impact of this potentially long-lasting injury and how it can occur in a collision. While it could technically happen in any crash, a chiropractor trained to work with such an injury resulting from an auto accident will tell you that the vast majority of these injuries are sustained in rear-end collisions, and they are suffered by those who are stopped, sitting in a stationary position, when another car rams into the back of their vehicle.
In an accident like this, the impact on your spine and skeletal system is almost instantaneous, but slowing it down helps to show exactly what happens to the body. First, the car lunges forward with the force from behind. Since you probably did not have time to brace for the crash, your body actually sinks back into the cushioning of your seat. Your head does not move back nearly as quickly as the rest of your body, floating on your neck and your upper vertebrae while the rest of you moves very quickly.
However, that all changes in a split second, as any experienced chiropractor will attest. Your head suddenly jerks forward, tipping your chin down toward your chest, and then, in less time than it takes you to blink, it switches again and slams backward. The rest of your body is held in place by your seat belt, but your head floats freely. The whipping motion that it goes through in a rear-end accident is what can cause you to need chiropractic care.
Many people do not seek out medical attention in the hours or even days immediately following the crash, believing that they have not been seriously injured, but the reality is that the symptoms of whiplash often take a few days to set in.
Some Auto Accident Whiplash Symptoms Include:
– Mild to severe headaches.
– Stiffness and neck pain.
– Swelling in ligaments and muscles because of microscopic tears.
– Loss of your normal range of motion.
The real issue that can make these injuries linger, though, is the healing process. To heal, your body sends fibroblasts to the damaged area. These are special cells that repair the body by creating small patches of scar tissue. If your alignment is off during this process, or if you do not have your normal, full range of motion back, the scar tissue can form and hold your body in that position. This can cause spinal degeneration and it can make any loss of motion permanent.
For this reason, it is critical that you see a local Chiropractor trained to help Houstonians suffering with whiplash from an car accident as soon as possible. Not only can the chiropractic care help to reduce pain and fight the symptoms themselves, but it can also give you the realignment and overall treatment that you need to make sure that your body heals properly. This will reduce the likelihood of future injuries, eliminate lingering stiffness, keep you from experiencing chronic pain, and combat pinched nerves or disc degeneration.
Dr. Richard J. Werner DC is a trained Houston area Chiropractor, located in the Greenway Plaza area. If you are suffering with pain or whiplash from a auto accident, call today.