Motor Vehicle Accidents
Car accidents are a traumatic, potentially life altering experience although it may not seem so in the moment with the adrenalin pumping. Often times, it can take hours, days or weeks to fully comprehend the extent of the effects on a person physically. Studies have also shown that patients respond the best to treatment in the first 12 weeks after an accident. After this window the tissues have a slower response to treatment.
Bottom Line:
If you can walk away after a car accident without any catastrophic injuries, you should certainly consider yourself lucky. Here are some important to remember if and when you ever find yourself in this situation:
Even if you feel ok after exchanging information and speaking with the police, it is always a good idea to see a chiropractor after an accident. While your adrenaline is pumping directly after an accident, your brain may not truly register the pain signals coming from your body. It's only after you have some time to calm down that you may find yourself suddenly living with previously unnoticed injuries and manifestations of delayed pain after a car accident.
During an exam chiropractors are able to identify both neurological and musculoskeletal injuries that patient might not know were present. Your chiropractor will also be able to triage patient to other healthcare professionals or get additional imaging in situations where injuries are more severe.
Non-surgical or opioid care options, such as chiropractic, are very effective at helping people both reduce the sensations of delayed pain after a car accident and restore their functional health. Our office is equipped with different options to help reduce pain gently and naturally to help recover from these injuries. This early treatment gives you the highest likelihood of putting that car accident in the rear-view mirror and getting well within a matter of weeks.
Why it Matters:
While there is a time and place for medications to provide temporary pain relief, they often mask pain giving you a false sense of recovery. If we can treat the root cause as opposed to just the symptoms we can achieve longer last relief.
Even minor symptoms can be an indication of a more significant problem and the longer you wait to get evaluated and receive care, the higher your likelihood becomes of needing more aggressive medical care.
The body has a healing window in which it responds quicker. Typically, after 12 weeks these injuries take a longer time to heal and the odds the injury last into the future increases. In fact, without a proper diagnosis and swift treatment, your body may begin to "heal" with more scar tissue than necessary.
3 Common Delayed Pain Symptoms After a Car Accident
Let’s take a look at some common manifestations of delayed pain after a car accident that may not appear for hours or days.
● Headaches: A concussion, neck injury, mild traumatic brain injury, or whiplash can create headaches after a car accident, so don't dismiss a headache or dizziness until you’ve been adequately evaluated by a doctor.
● Lower Back Pain: Pain in your back after a car accident can take hours or days to begin, and it could be a sign of a spinal disc injury, soft tissue injury, or radiating neurological pain.
● Neck / Shoulder Pain: If you notice pain in your neck, shoulders, or arms, it may be a sign of whiplash or a spinal injury.
Next Steps:
Delayed onset of symptoms after a car accident are quite common. The stress of a car accident can make it difficult to truly assess how you feel in the minutes after impact. It takes time for swelling and inflammation to begin, and you may not notice these common manifestations of delayed pain after a car accident for hours or even days.
Check for injuries: First and foremost, check if you or anyone else in your vehicle or the other vehicle involved in the accident is injured. If anyone is injured, call 911 or seek emergency medical assistance.
Even if you don't feel injured immediately after the accident, it's a good idea to see your chiropractor to get checked out. Some injuries, such as whiplash, may not show symptoms for several days.
Receiving a complete and thorough evaluation is critical to discovering injuries early on so that you can receive the best care and treatment to put your injuries in the rearview mirror as quickly as possible. The exam will help your chiropractor assist you in the next steps whether that is starting treatment, a referral to additional doctor or receive additional imaging.
So many things go through a patients mind after an auto accident, from fixing their car, the stress of the insurance and financials, to the pain that can occur. I believe it's important to put our patients mind at ease, help take care of their injuries, and also help decrease the stress of the auto insurance companies. Auto insurance typically covers our visits at or near 100%, our office processes these claims and deals with the insurance companies so our patients can focus on feeling better and helping their recovery.
So, call us to schedule a proper evaluation as soon as you can.
It has the potential to make a massive difference in both your quality of life and long-term well-being!
We're happy to help.
