Moto/Auto Injury and Chiropractic

If you have been involved in a car accident, whiplash injuries need to be taken very seriously. Because symptoms of a whiplash injury can take weeks or months to manifest, it is easy to be fooled into thinking that you are not as injured as you are. Too often people don’t seek treatment following a car accident because they don’t feel hurt. By far, the most common injury to the neck is a whiplash injury. Whiplash is caused by a sudden movement of the head, either backward, forward, or sideways, that results in the damage to the supporting muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues in the neck and upper back. Unfortunately, by the time more serious complications develop, some of the damage from the injury may have become permanent. If you have been in a motor vehicle or any other kind of accident, don’t assume that you escaped injury if you are not currently in pain. Get checked out by our Chiropractor . . . We can help!

What to do Post-Accident

If you have been involved in an Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA), you will need to undergo an exam. Often, individuals involved in MVA experience minimal or no symptoms for the first few weeks and even months. Failure to obtain a timely evaluation or appropriate treatment for injuries sustained in an MVA may negate your ability to receive monetary compensation for any future medical bills resulting from the accident, negate your ability to receive pain and suffering settlements, and negate compensation for work loss.

Common Injuries and Symptoms

The followings comprise many of sustained injuries and symptoms following MVA’s: Whiplash, Headaches, Back Pain, Head Injuries and Associated Symptoms, Extremity Pain, Numbness, Tingling, Factors Influencing Injury Tolerance, etc.

Whiplash

Whiplash is the most common injury sequelae following MVAs. Symptoms following a “whiplash” accident include:

• neck pain, tenderness, and stiffness
• cervical muscle spasms tenderness and nodules
• cervical reduced by a range of motion
• post-traumatic headaches
• shoulder and interscapular pain
• hand and finger pain, numbness and tingling
• blurred vision, dizziness, balance problems, and lightheadedness
• difficulty swallowing/feeling of a lump in the throat
• post-traumatic depression and cognitive problems

The term “whiplash” was first used in 1928 to define an injury mechanism of sudden hyperextension followed by an immediate hyperflexion of the neck that results in damage to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons.