Chiropractic and Auto Accidents?
Chiropractic and Auto Accidents
In the unfortunate event you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, you may have a lot of questions and decisions that need to be addressed. From a health standpoint you may wonder if you are hurt or not. It is easy to know this if you have immediate pain or a broken bone, but what if you did not have pain at the accident or even a few days later? Does that mean since you did not have pain that you are not injured? Of course not, but many people believe this.
In fact many insurance agents responsible for paying for your injures will tell you that if you are not in pain you can not be hurt. This has been proven to be a false assumption that has been backed up saying the opposite with clinical research done with MRI, X-Rays, and other medical test following minor accidents. Since only 18% of your nerve fibers carry pain signals, 82% of the time you can have injuries and not be in pain. The only true way to determine if you have suffered an injury as a result of a auto accident is to be evaluated by a health care provider who is familiar with treating patients who have been in auto accidents.
In the event that you were seriously injured you may have been seen in the Emergency Room and these doctors are very skilled in dealing with serious injuries. For example, broken bones, dislocations, cuts, wounds, air bag burns, and other life threatening injuries. However, they are not trained in properly evaluating the subtle sprain/strain injuries like whiplash that are the most common injuries that occur after minor auto accidents. Yes they often times diagnose them based on a good history of symptoms, but they are not trained in the treatment of these injuries. So most people are just prescribed medication and told to follow up with another provider if the pain does not go away.
So if you are involved in a minor car accident (not bad enough to need to be seen in a hospital) and regardless if you feel pain or not, you should be evaluated by a chiropractor to see if you have suffered any soft tissue injuries. Chiropractor are trained in the detection and correction of subtle joint injures that cause improper joint mechanics or dyskinesis or WAD (whiplash associated disorder). They will also be able to detect any ligamentous damage within the spine and extremities through motion x-rays and other orthopedic tests to guide you in the appropriate course of treatment.
If your injuries are not identified and treated within the first 10 days after an accident then scar tissue will be laid down and it can be much more difficult to restore the normal joint mechanics leading to a possible permanent impairment. This means longer and more frequent treatment in order to correct what has occurred before the proper treatment was started. This is a strong case for chiropractic care and auto accidents.
So if you or anyone you know is involved in any type of auto accident, large or small. I would recommend that once any life threatening injuries are stabilized and addressed, then to be seen ASAP by a chiropractor. If you are living in the east valley, then I would be happy to help. We currently have two offices in the east valley, one in Mesa at Recker and McKellips and the other in Tempe at Mill and Baseline.
In most auto accident cases we will treat you at no cost until your case settles. In addition to a third party claim we also do accept Medpay insurance and general health insurances. And as always here at Reed Chiropractic, if you just have a question or concern of any kind, and you just want to ask a few questions I am always available. Please just call the office at 480-785-1355 and ask to speak to Dr. Reed and tell ask our front office staff to schedule you a 15 minute phone consultation.
I hope you enjoyed this article on Chiropractic and auto accidents, check back with us each week for more health and wellness news.
Reed Chiropractic
250 W. baseline Rd. #107
Tempe AZ 85283
480-785-1355
