Auto Injury Clinic Discusses: Early Treatment for Chiropractic Injuries
Many neck and back injuries caused as the result of an auto accident are like sleeper cells. Injuries that seem benign or that aren’t detectable by the patient can grow into problems that are debilitating or cause chronic pain and require invasive surgery to treat. This is precisely why an early assessment of and treatment by an auto accident chiropractor is so critical to your well-being.
Some of the most severe problems that can be prevented by early treatment and detection include:
Herniated Disc
The soft padding between your vertebrae that keeps each bone from scraping together can become damaged with trauma. Imagine pulling a piece of plastic wrap — not to the point where it to a point where it tears, but just before it does. Once the plastic wrap has pulled apart, it loses its tight form and its structural integrity. This is how the soft padding between your discs can be affected when they are jolted back and forth violently.
If caught soon enough by an auto accident chiropractor, a herniated disc can be repaired with physical therapy or regular treatments at an auto injury clinic. If unaddressed, the spinal fluid that lubricates these soft tissues begins to bulge and pushing apart the spinal vertebrae. As you might imagine, these types of spinal injuries that cause malformations are extremely painful and can lead to chronic pain that can only be remedied by surgery, if at all.
People with chronic pain from herniated discs often feel irritable, grouchy, tired, and struggle with constant headaches and reduced ability to participate in physical activities. It can take three to five years after the initial trauma for the symptoms to develop to this point, and after that, they only continue to worsen. Early treatment by an auto injury clinic can be prevented through physical therapy and other non-invasive measures if addressed early enough.
Extremity Pain (Shoulder, Knee, Ankle, Jaw)
An auto accident chiropractor doesn’t only address issues relating to the neck and back, but injuries to other skeletal areas resulting from trauma. Leg pain, shoulder pain, jaw pain (TMJ), and knee pain are common concerns after an auto accident that can be addressed by an auto injury clinic. One of the primary goals of an auto accident chiropractor is to restore your normal range of motion in order to prevent further injury and reduce pain throughout your body.
Soft tissues that are bruised or torn can develop tough and irregular scar tissue over the time that they heal; resulting in future discomfort or mobility issues that weren’t apparent immediately after the accident. An auto injury clinic uses special instrumentation and assessments to identify and create a treatment plan for not only your neck and back but extremities as well.
Facet Joint Injuries
The facet joints are the hinge-type connectors in your spine that allow you to be able to twist and turn. In an auto accident, the force from the collision can cause the cartilage between the joints to tear away, become inflamed, or for the joints to become dislocated. Left unaddressed by an auto accident chiropractor, this type of injury can critically impact your ability to perform even basic day-to-day functions.
What may seem like a minor ache or pain in a completely unrelated area may originate from the spinal column. As an auto injury clinic that specializes in chiropractic care for auto insurance patients, we highly recommend an assessment following any car accident or bodily trauma. Even if you don’t feel pain in your back or neck area after the accident, having a check-up by a trained specialist is critical.
