When you have a car accident, you may be injured in addition to having your car damaged. In severe accidents, you may even have to spend time in the hospital and go through rehab. Even when you’re not that hurt, you should still see a doctor. It’s possible some injuries won’t appear for days or even weeks. In addition to seeking medical help right away, you may later find that your back or neck hurts. In that case, it may be time to see a chiropractor.
Major Accidents
In severe car accidents, an ambulance is likely to be called to the scene. You’ll be treated by paramedics and may even be taken to the emergency room for additional care. If you’re not, you should make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible to receive a medical report. This report can be invaluable in court. Your doctor will examine your back and neck and may advise you to visit a chiropractor. You may also decide to make an appointment with a chiropractor yourself.
Minor Accidents
While minor accidents may not leave you in need of a car accident chiropractor Phoenix drivers do need to be aware that they may have older injuries that are aggravated by these collisions. If you were in a major accident before, it’s likely that any small collision can cause damage to your soft tissue. Your body will be jerked forward and backwards, potentially injuring your back, spine, and neck. Many people assume that only impacts that occur at high speeds can cause damage, but that’s not true. In fact, over half of all cases of whiplash occur in collisions where the vehicles show little or no damage. Without medical attention, you may not even realize that you’ve been injured.
Do You Hurt?
If you’re in pain immediately after a car accident, always go to the emergency room right away if there is no ambulance called to the scene. Don’t assume you’re just bruised and that the pain will fade on its own. You may have a serious injury that needs to be treated right away. Even if you aren’t in pain that day, you may start to hurt several days later. Some injuries do develop over the course of a day or two. Some even take weeks or a few months. You should see your doctor or a chiropractor if you start hurting following a car accident.
What Can a Chiropractor Do for You?
A chiropractor can do a lot for you. Car injuries can cause lasting damage that may flare up with little or no warning. By seeing a car accident chiropractor Glendale drivers may be able to save themselves a lot of future pain down the line. Your chiropractor may be able to readjust your back before the muscles start to get inflamed, for example.
You should always see a chiropractor no more than two weeks after any car accident, especially if you’re concerned that your back has been injured. This way, your chiropractor can determine if there is any damage and can make a full report to your insurance company. You may also need this report if you plan on going to court to sue the other driver or drivers responsible for the crash.
While you should see a doctor after an accident, they may not be able to treat your pain. They will help you with any life-threatening injury, of course, but for pain, they may simply give you some medication and send you home. This means you’re going to need to see a car accident chiropractor Phoenix. These experts can often find injuries that doctors can’t because they’re trained to know how the bones and muscles in the back and neck are supposed to feel.
They are also familiar with a number of different tests they can do to determine if there’s any damage to the soft tissue, muscles, joints, or nerves of the back. They can diagnose damage that may limit your range of motion or cause you recurring pain. Other medical experts may overlook these things simply because they don’t specialize in chiropractic care.
Post-Accident Treatment Plan
In some cases, a car accident chiropractor Glendale expert will put you on a specific care plan that has been created with your injuries and lifestyle in mind. This plan may include a number of exercises you’re to do regularly to help your body become stronger. It will also likely include future appointments with your chiropractor to be adjusted and may even include massages and other types of physical therapy. You may also be given a list of things you need to avoid doing, such as lifting heavy loads or twisting in specific ways.
Always take car accidents seriously, even if you believe you weren’t badly injured. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, especially if you later discover that you do have more serious injuries.