Recovering from Car Accidents

Most of the time, you should rest and remain immobile for the first 48-72 hours immediately following an automobile accident. Your body will respond to any injury with an inflammatory reaction. This makes the damaged area both swollen and pain sensitive. Attempted movements during this time will usually cause more pain. Muscles around the injured area tend to spasm – effectively splinting the area and preventing further damage. Muscle spasm can also cause greater compression and/or irritation of the joints, leading to more pain.

This pain-spasm-pain cycle should be prevented as much as possible, especially early in the recovery process following a motor vehicle accident. Cooling the immediate area of injury with ice for 5-10 minutes at a time may help limit the painful effects of inflammation. In addition, resting or lying down during the first few days will ease the postural strain felt around the neck and shoulders, and help promote healing.
After this initial inflammatory stage, a patient is recommended to resume normal movements as soon as possible – within a reasonable range and within the patient’s pain tolerance. If immobility is prolonged, muscle atrophy and weakness can make recovery and rehabilitation from a whiplash injury more difficult. If movement is not encouraged, muscle spasm can often persist, causing a ncreased compressive load on the discs and joints of the neck, potentially leading to chronic problems.

Vertebral subluxations in the neck and upper back are commonly found in those who experience car accidents. Therefore, at any stage of healing and recovery from whiplash-associated injuries, chiropractic adjustments can reduce pain and restore normal function.

Hidden Problems in Car Accidents

When it comes to car accidents, paramedics are often the first health care professionals who attend to your needs. However, many accidents do not involve life-threatening injuries and many people think they are fine, when in fact they may still have serious problems.  Some people encounter pain and tension right away. For others, the symptoms may get worse over time. Whether the impact occurs from the front or the rear, your neck is usually the most vulnerable area of your body in any motor vehicle accident. Car collisions involve rapid changes in acceleration and deceleration. Your body is held relatively still by a seat belt, whereas your head and neck are free to move.

This typically results in the neck moving very rapidly through an excessive range of motion, contributing to hyperflexion-hyperextension injuries that can affect soft tissues in the neck, as well as joint capsules and intervertebral discs. Whiplash is the name often associated with car accident neck injuries. Symptoms from whiplash may include any or all of the following: neck pain and inflammation, arm pain, numbness or tingling, headaches, nausea, and dizziness.

Depending upon the degree of injury, your recommended course of action will differ. To determine what you should do, first consult with your chiropractor as they specialize in problems related to the nerves, muscles, joints and connective tissues of the spine.

Professional Athletes' Opinions on Chiropractic

Many professional athletes have gone on record, attributing their great performances to chiropractic care, which they usually have just before their competitions. This is what some of these athletes had to say about chiropractic:
 
“The team wasn’t just riders. It was mechanics, masseurs, chefs, soigneurs & doctors. But the most important man on the team may have been the chiropractor.” - Lance Armstrong (professional cyclist, world record 7- time Tour de France winner)

“Lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to chiropractors as long as I can remember. It's as important to my training as practicing my swing.” - Tiger Woods (professional golfer, world ranked #1 for a record 623 weeks)

“I did a lot of things to stay in the game, but regular visits to my chiropractor were among the most important.” - Jerry Rice (13-time ProBowl NFL football player, and SuperBowl XXIII MVP)

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to benefit from chiropractic care. But if chiropractic adjustments can help these elite athletes stay at the top of their game, imagine what it could do for people like you and me!