A 10.5% increase in auto accidents in the US was recorded in the first three months of 2021. While the pandemic has seen fewer drivers on the road, there has been an increase in risky driving behavior on US roads. These risky behaviors include speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, and driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Survivors of auto accidents often sustain injuries weeks or even months after their accident. While some medical practitioners prescribe painkillers to treat the pain, an auto injury chiropractor offers alternative and natural treatment which can correct spinal misalignments caused by common car accident injuries.

Below are common car accident injuries and the treatments used by car accident chiropractors to relieve pain.

Neck Injuries

Neck injuries occur when drivers and passengers involved in car accidents experience a whiplash during the accident. This motion is called a whiplash due to the whip-like motion when the neck moves forward and then jerks backward in a sudden violent manner. The lightning-quick motion puts the cervical spine through extreme stress.

Symptoms of whiplash may persist when you experience:

• Neck pain, especially when turning the head to look over a shoulder
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Shoulder pain
• Dizziness
• Arm pain
• Pain in the lower back
• Stiff neck
• Reduced range of motion in the neck, shoulders, or upper arms

If left untreated, severe pain may persist, and one may have a limited range of motion, a real concern for the auto accident survivor’s quality of life. Spine misalignments related to neck injuries must be aligned as soon as possible to avoid tissue scarring as the wound heals internally.

While some medical practitioners treat whiplash as an afterthought, a good auto injury chiropractor will treat it seriously and with immediate attention. Due to their extensive experience in treating soft tissue injuries, your car accident chiropractor will be able to treat your injury at the root instead of giving temporary relief from your injury. Make sure that your auto injury chiropractor listens to your complaints and takes your symptoms seriously.

How does your auto accident chiropractor relieve whiplash and other neck injuries caused by auto accidents? Depending on your case, the following treatments may be applied:

• Spinal Adjustments
• Rehabilitative Exercises
• Electric Muscle Stimulation

Back Injuries

Sprained backs, herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, and broken vertebrae are familiar sights of auto accident cases. Due to the impact of an auto accident, significant trauma may occur to the spine’s soft tissues. The trauma of the soft issues manifests through pain, limited mobility, tension, and irritation in the back.

The most common back injury to come out of an auto accident is a herniated disc. A herniated disc refers to a spinal disc (circular fluid structures found between the vertebrae of your spine) that has pushed out of the spine and has pinched a spinal nerve.

A herniated disc and other back injuries can manifest itself through:

• Pain in the back
• Pressure in the head, back, or neck
• Difficulty walking or keeping your balance
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Twisted or oddly positioned back or neck

These symptoms may not manifest immediately after an auto accident. However, it helps to be observant of the abovementioned symptoms for early intervention and treatment. If left untreated, the constant pain from your back may limit your ability to do a lot of basic activities and actions needed in your daily life.

Your auto injury chiropractor can help treat your back injuries and herniated discs through the following treatments:

• Flexion-distraction
• Manual therapy
• Spinal manipulation
• Pelvic blocking
• Therapeutic exercises

Pinched Nerves

We have mentioned pinched nerves when describing herniated discs in the earlier paragraph. But what is a pinched nerve? A pinched nerve occurs when the pressure is applied to nerve-surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscle, or tendons. 

While some pinched nerves are treated within a few days or weeks, there are complex cases involving surgery or more prolonged treatment plans to relieve the pain.

Pinched nerves may occur as a singular injury after an auto accident or in conjunction with other neck or back injuries mentioned above. The following are symptoms you should check to see if you have pinched nerves:

• Numbness or decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve
• Sharp, aching, or burning pain, which may radiate outward
• Tingling, pins and needles sensations (paresthesia)
• Muscle weakness in the affected area
• Frequent feeling that a foot or hand has “fallen asleep”

Targeting the Root of the Problem

Most medical practitioners give painkillers as a maintenance medicine to provide temporary pain relief. At Kaizo Health Chiropractic Clinic, we believe that solutions should target the root of the problem instead of providing band-aid solutions. Therefore, our auto injury chiropractors utilize manual spine alignment, among other techniques, to relax the patient’s nerve endings, and help align your spine to its correct position.

The above list is not an exhaustive list of injuries that may occur after an auto accident. We recognize that each auto accident injury is different. That is why we recommend our patients, or for those who wish to relieve injuries caused by auto accidents, to visit Kaizo Health Chiropractic Clinic, where we provide tailor-fit, customized, and effective chiropractic treatment plans that are guaranteed to relieve pain non-invasively and naturally.

We still believe that prevention is better than cure. So, folks, wear your seatbelt, don’t go past the speed limit, and keep your eyes on the road. 

A Parting Reminder

Here at Kaizo Health, it is our firm belief that, with the proper chiropractic help, you can rise above your pain and enjoy a more proactive lifestyle! If you have any questions regarding chiropractic help, don’t hesitate to contact us and schedule an appointment with our chiropractic team! In the meantime, make sure that you check out our blog for more information on the chiropractic field as well as our free virtual self-assessment chiropractic web app here.