You Just Had a Car Crash – When Should You See the Chiropractor?

If you just experienced a car crash, your mind is probably swirling with what you should do next. In this post, we’ll show you how important it is to see a chiropractor right away, no matter what your symptoms may be.

Why Floridians Need to Seek Treatment Within 14 Days

In Florida, the law requires you to seek medical attention within 14 days of a car crash to qualify for compensation. This will permit you to be protected by up to $10,000 in personal injury insurance. You don’t want to forego this important benefit.

Many common car crash injuries do not show up immediately, but it’s crucial to get your condition recorded by a medical professional anyway. If you wait too long, you may be stuck with all the bills for your medical expenses, even if the car crash wasn’t your fault.

Hidden Soft Tissue Injuries After a Car Crash are Common

Often, people may feel fine right after an accident… only to have injuries rear their ugly heads days or even weeks later.

To be on the safe side, make an appointment with an experienced chiropractor right away. We can determine if you have any “hidden” injuries to your soft tissues. Here are the most common soft tissue injuries people experience in car crashes.

Whiplash

This is one of the most common soft tissue injuries from a car crash. Whiplash occurs when your head suddenly moves forward, then backward again. The ligaments in your neck can experience tiny tears that may not cause symptoms for days or weeks after the crash.

You may notice reduced range of motion, stiffness, or pain in your neck from whiplash. Pain in other areas like your shoulders, arms, or lower back may also be related to whiplash. Other symptoms include dizziness, blurred vision, or headaches.

A qualified chiropractor can evaluate whether whiplash has occurred and treat the problem with various therapies. The sooner you seek treatment, the better, since scar tissue can develop and make the situation worse over time.

Back Problems

A car crash often disrupts spinal alignment. If too much pressure is placed on a disc in your spine, the soft material inside can bulge or spread outside its cavity. This can cause intense pain, or it may cause dull, persistent pain that worsens over time.

Car crashes also cause your muscles to suddenly tense in self-protection. This can cause painful muscle spasms in your back or other areas of your body. Back pain can be debilitating, and it’s important to get treatment right away.

By seeking chiropractic care as soon as possible, your spine can be realigned to take pressure off inflamed discs and strained muscles. Chiropractic care can help you avoid the need for prescription pain killers, muscle relaxants or surgery.

Concussions

You may think that concussion symptoms are dramatic and immediately noticeable, such as loss of cognition. However, that’s not always the case – especially after a car crash.

Headaches, vision loss, dizziness, and lack of concentration can all be signs that a concussion has occurred. A skilled chiropractor can evaluate whether you have experienced a concussion. We offer several therapies to help your brain recover from a concussion.

A chiropractor is trained to detect all kinds of soft tissue injuries. By getting in to see us as quickly as possible, we can help you heal faster and keep your symptoms from worsening. Our treatments will restore mobility and promote overall health with non-invasive techniques. If you are experiencing pain after your crash, schedule a chiropractic evaluation.

About the Author: 

Dr. Singer has been a practicing chiropractor for more than 20 years, and USA Health & Therapy has been around since 2004. Over the course of his career, Singer has helped tens of thousands of people with all kinds of issues by using a wide variety of treatment strategies. He has extensive knowledge of chiropractic modalities, including Gonstead, Diversified, Thompson Drop Table, and Activator, and in 1997 he earned a special adjunctive Chiropractic Certification in Spinal Trauma (CCST) to better provide care for car crash victims. Dr. Singer is licensed to practice chiropractic medicine in both Florida and New York.