car accident chiropractor in Columbus

Lots of people seek a car accident chiropractor in Columbus after getting hurt in a car accident. If you don’t have any life-threatening injuries from a car accident, the first doctor you should see is a musculoskeletal specialist, which would be a car-wreck chiropractor.

Chiropractors are trained to treat the spine and the tissues surrounding it – an area often injured in car accidents. General practitioners often miss these injuries and, if left untreated, can cause significant harm.

For example, whiplash is a common car injury when your head and neck get whipped from back to front, like when you crack a whip.

Most car accidents are rear-ended collisions, and whiplash is often a result of those. But whiplash can also come from other trauma, accidents, abuse, and falls.

Many people who experience a car accident don’t even realize they have whiplash until weeks or months later, when the problem becomes persistent and starts causing other issues.

This is why car accident lawyers and physicians tell people who were involved in a car accident, regardless who is at fault, they shouldn’t wait longer than 72 hours after their accident to get evaluated by a chiropractor.

If you’re unsure whether or not your neck or back has been injured, this article will help you understand if you have a whiplash injury and how a car accident chiropractor in Columbus can help you treat it.

Whiplash treatment Columbus OH

Whiplash is the term used to describe the initial impact when the neck is whipped from back to front during a car accident while playing contact sports such as football or other physical trauma.

The trauma involved in most whiplash injuries also includes other problems that must be addressed:

• Disc bulges and herniation
• Subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine)
• Injured bones in the spine
• Irritated and damaged nerves
• Pulled ligaments and muscles in the neck

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF WHIPLASH?

Whiplash injuries usually fall into mild, moderate, and severe categories. They are more likely to be harsh when your headrest is positioned too low.

If the impact was quite severe or the headrest was low, there is a chance that bones are broken or tissue is damaged.

Regardless of how big or small the accident you were involved in. We highly recommend seeing a car accident chiropractor in Columbus and receiving a thorough examination with x-rays regardless.

Even if the impact seemed mild, you might have whiplash if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Neck pain
• Shoulder, upper back, and arm pain
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Pain when turning the head
• Inability to move or turn the head fully
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, and fingers
• Ringing in the ears
• Difficulty sleeping
• Depression

Car accident chiropractor near me

As you can see from the list provided above, a broad range of symptoms are associated with whiplash injury, and not all of them can be easily linked back to whiplash.

Even if a medical doctor has cleared you, your pain could still be associated with whiplash, and you may need treatment to address the issue.

Getting your spine checked without delay is critical if you have recently been injured in an automobile accident. The sooner you start treating the problem, the less likely it is to become a chronic issue.

4 Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment After a Car Accident

1. Reduced Inflammation

Chiropractic manipulation of the spine to realign the spinal cord can reduce pain by reducing the inflammatory response in the body.

This is because such manipulation causes the body to produce fewer inflammatory cytokines. Pain proteins get released when your body is hurting from trauma.

Signs that back pain is due to inflammation, as opposed to some other mechanical cause, include stiffness and pain that worsens after periods of inactivity. If inflammation is the root cause, people typically feel the most pain when they first wake up.

2. Reducing Pain At The Source

After a car accident, you can potentially reduce pain throughout your body by receiving chiropractic adjustments.

During spinal manipulations executed by a chiropractor, your body naturally releases pain-relieving hormones called endorphins. Endorphins help relieve pain, reduce stress and improve your sense of well-being.

A study by The University of Spain showed that levels of oxytocin, neurotensin, and endorphins in the bloodstream increased in test subjects after spinal manipulation.

3. Restore and Improve Range of Motion

Car accidents can often lead to a loss of neck or back flexibility due to misalignment of the spine’s joints, scar tissue, or inflammation.

A chiropractic adjustment can help to fix this by restoring mobility to the spine and aligning the joints properly.

4. Reduce Scar Tissue and Muscle Knots

Even though scar tissue is part of the healing process, it can present a variety of issues, including restricted mobility, limited range of motion, and a lack of flexibility.

• A Graston technique is used. Car accident chiropractors use instrumentation to break down thick scar tissue through gentle scraping. The Graston technique can treat scarring in common soft-tissue areas, such as the legs, neck, and lower back.
• Adjustment by instrument. A chiropractor can target scar tissue buildup with an ArthroStim or other pulsating instrument. As the instrument rapidly massages these areas, the tissue becomes softer and more pliable.
• Therapy for trigger points. In areas of tissue with heavy scarring, trigger point therapy is useful for releasing tension. Chiropractic appointments involve constant testing of a range of motion and scar tissue breaking down.

Contact a chiropractor after your accident

Anyone injured in a car accident should seek medical attention as soon as possible. It involves going to a hospital or urgent care center to receive proper treatment and determine the extent of your injuries.

It is common for those involved in a crash not to experience pain for hours or days after the initial impact. Whiplash and internal bleeding are among the most common injuries that don’t often present with symptoms.

A car accident chiropractor should be consulted for all soft tissue, tightness, and pain associated with the accident. If you live around the Columbus Ohio area, feel free to contact us!