Being in a car accident often results in pain, limited mobility, headaches, and other issues from musculoskeletal injuries. While emergency medical treatment is critical right after a collision, chiropractic care is highly recommended for fully resolving auto accident injuries.
Chiropractors use non-invasive, hands-on techniques to address the root physical dysfunctions and nerve interference caused by collisions. This allows victims in the Denver metro area to recover function faster and more completely.
Whiplash Injuries Improve With Specific Chiropractic Techniques
One of the most frequent injuries suffered in rear-end accidents is whiplash. Chiropractors are specially trained to treat whiplash through methods including:
- Spinal manipulations – Highly specific chiropractic adjustments realign vertebrae and restore neck mobility. This also decompresses irritated nerves.
- Massage – Various soft tissue techniques like trigger point therapy relax strained neck muscles that go into spasm after whiplash kinematics.
- Interferential current – Electrotherapy treatments use electrical stimulation to decrease inflammation and pain.
- Cold laser therapy – Photobiomodulation with laser light also reduces painful swelling.
- Cervical traction – Gentle, sustained pulling separates vertebrae and takes pressure off pinched nerves.
With several sessions of these hands-on techniques per week, most whiplash symptoms significantly improve within 6 to 12 weeks.
Chiropractic Adjustments Alleviate Back Pain From Collisions
Sudden collision forces often strain or tear muscles, ligaments, and discs in the spine. Chiropractors address the spectrum of accident-related back pain including:
- Radiating lower back and leg pain from herniated or slipped discs
- Sprains of facet joints between vertebrae
- Compression fractures of vertebrae
- General lumbar sprains and strains
For relief, chiropractors provide:
- Spinal manipulation and mobilization to improve mobility and alignment
- Flexion-distraction technique to gently take pressure off compressed discs
- Muscle relaxer modalities like E-Stim to reduce spasms and tension
- Massage and heat therapy to loosen strained back muscles
Under a chiropractor's care, most post-collision back pain improves within 4 to 6 weeks.
Why Chiropractic Treatments Help Relieve Accident Headaches
Headaches often occur after auto collisions due to neck injuries as well as concussions if the head strikes objects. Chiropractic can effectively treat multiple headache types stemming from accidents including:
- Cervicogenic headaches arising from injured neck structures
- Tension headaches from prolonged neck muscle contractions
- Post-concussion headaches
- Migraines exacerbated by neck misalignments
Spinal adjustments restore normal neck mobility and reduce local inflammation that generates headaches. Myofascial release and trigger point therapy relax muscles causing headache pain. Chiropractic combined with lifestyle changes helps greatly diminish headache frequency and severity after automobile accidents.
Key Reasons to Seek Chiropractic After Car Crashes
Beyond pain relief, starting chiropractic care quickly after any auto collision provides additional benefits:
- Finding and documenting overlooked injuries before they worsen
- Preventing short-term muscle guarding from transitioning into chronic dysfunction
- Restoring flexibility early, before joints stiffen up
- Promoting faster tissue healing through improved circulation
- Supporting optimal neurological communication
- Identifying pre-existing spinal issues aggravated by the crash
Prompt chiropractic helps accident victims recover more fully long-term.
When to Start Chiropractic Treatments After Auto Injuries
Ideally, accident victims should consult a chiropractor within days or weeks after their crash. The longer significant dysfunction remains unaddressed, the more difficult recovery becomes.
Early chiropractic evaluation also establishes health documentation that may be useful if legal claims arise later. Having problems like spinal mobility, range of motion, and neurological function recorded shortly after an accident strengthens injury-related cases down the road.
While sooner is better, those with chronic issues can still benefit from chiropractic care started months or years post-accident.
How Chiropractors Thoroughly Evaluate Auto Accident Injuries
Chiropractors are specially trained to identify the full extent of collision-related injuries using detailed diagnostic techniques:
- Palpation – Chiropractors manually feel for areas of swelling, muscle spasms, joint stiffness, and misalignment after accidents.
- Range of motion testing – Assessing how far you can move helps pinpoint restricted mobility indicating injured structures.
- Orthopedic testing – Specific tests identify ligament, tendon, and muscle tears plus nerve damage missed by standard imaging.
- Posture analysis – Standing, sitting and walking postural changes showcase locations of dysfunction.
- Advanced imaging – MRI, x-ray, CT scans, and ultrasound confirm soft tissue injuries and fractures.
These precise evaluative processes allow chiropractors to design customized, integrative treatment regimens.
How Chiropractic Treatments Facilitate Accelerated Healing After Injuries
The various hands-on techniques chiropractors employ all encourage the body's innate restorative processes. Benefits include:
- Increased circulation brings fresh blood flow with healing oxygen and nutrients.
- Improved neurological signaling between injured areas and the brain.
- Reduced inflammatory chemicals that delay tissue repair and cause swelling.
- Gentle stretching of muscles and joints enhances flexibility.
- Normal biomechanical movements are restored for everyday activities.
- Muscle relaxant therapies reduce spasms that restrict blood supply.
Through these mechanisms, chiropractic care helps you heal faster and more fully after automobile accidents.
Chiropractic Approaches are Non-Invasive and Drug-Free
A major benefit of chiropractic care is providing significant pain relief and recovery without medications, shots, or invasive procedures. Chiropractic techniques are non-invasive and drug-free, including:
- Precise spinal adjustments and manipulations
- Massage, stretching and myofascial release
- Joint traction and mobilization
- Therapeutic exercises
- Electrical muscle stimulation
This makes chiropractic very appealing for the many patients wanting to avoid pharmaceutical pain management treatments and the risks of medication dependency, tolerance, and side effects.
How Chiropractic Care Manages Pain After Auto Collisions
While focused on correcting underlying dysfunction, chiropractors also incorporate natural pain management through modalities like:
- Spinal adjustments which trigger the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers.
- Cold laser therapy which reduces pain signals on a cellular level.
- Electrical muscle stimulation that blocks pain messages to the brain.
- Massage and myofascial release decreasing painful muscle knots and trigger points.
- Acupuncture which redirects pain pathways.
- Lifestyle advice on diet, sleep habits, ergonomics and posture to help manage discomfort.
Chiropractic gives accident victims multiple approaches for reducing pain naturally so they can better rest, heal, and resume daily living activities.
Questions to Ask When Selecting a Post-Accident Chiropractor
It's important to choose an auto accident chiropractor with advanced expertise in collision injuries. Questions to ask a prospective provider:
- How many years have you treated car accident victims? Look for 10+ years experience.
- What continuing education do you have in whiplash, concussion, and soft tissue injury rehabilitation? Advanced certifications indicate specialized training.
- What diagnostic and therapy technology do you utilize? Look for a full suite of assessment tools.
- Do you provide customized, patient-centered care plans? Adjustments shouldn't be one-size-fits-all.
- How do you collaborate with other health providers like medical doctors and physical therapists? Coordination is key.
- Can you provide referrals from past auto injury patients? Speaking to them offers helpful insights.
Take time to find an experienced chiropractor you trust to oversee your post-accident recovery plan.
Why Pursuing Chiropractic Care is Wise After Auto Collisions
Don't delay in seeking chiropractic care after being injured in a traffic accident. Chiropractors offer highly specialized skills that complement medical treatment to resolve accident-related pain and dysfunction for the best recovery results:
- Chiropractic adjustments bring your body back into proper alignment.
- Soft tissue techniques relax injured, tense muscles.
- Spinal manipulation reduces nerve irritation and radiating pain.
- Strength and flexibility improves through prescribed exercises.
- Your energy, sleep, and mood elevate.
- You resume your normal work, family, and recreational activities.
- Your long-term health is protected by addressing issues immediately.
- Seeing a chiropractor after an auto collision facilitates true healing on all levels.
Let Uptown Denver Chiropractor Get You Back to Full Function
Dr. Wood at Uptown Denver Chiropractor understands the intricate dynamics of auto collision injuries, leveraging over a decade of experience treating accident victims. He utilizes leading-edge diagnostic technology in combination with proven hands-on therapies to resolve dysfunction and get you feeling like yourself again.
If you live in Denver and suffered injuries from a traffic accident, call Dr. Wood today for an expert evaluation. He will listen closely and create a tailored treatment plan to address your specific needs. The sooner you start chiropractic care, the sooner you'll be on the road to maximum recovery.