Car accidents can be traumatic experiences, even with no significant injuries. After such a collision, there is also a chance that adrenaline pumping through your system may obscure pain and other symptoms of an injury. Even if you believe that you have escaped unscathed, it is best to consult a health professional to verify that there are no undetected side effects. 

Occasionally, accident-related injuries can result in back pain, whiplash and other neck discomforts, ligament damage, headaches, and herniated discs, among other muscle, joint, and spinal injuries. Traumatic symptoms may manifest immediately or at some point after the collision. If you experience these, your first action should be to see a doctor to determine if any underlying issues may be causing the problems. 

Afterward, you may wish to seek out treatment for car accident recovery through a licensed chiropractor to help speed your recovery and alleviate pain and other symptoms. 

Chiropractic Treatment

Chiropractors treat ailments related to a patient’s neuromusculoskeletal system, including those resulting from car accidents. When you are suffering pain or mobility issues relating to the bones, muscles, joints, ligaments, tenders, and nerves, chiropractors can make a huge difference, improving your quality of life and resolving the underlying issues. 

These professionals often work to alleviate neck and back pain and specialize in spinal adjustments, which can solve a host of symptoms, many of which are common issues resulting from collision-related injuries. Their approach to treatment is entirely holistic, meaning they work to realign the body to its natural, optimum state, generally achieving this balance using their fingers or specially designed equipment to manipulate joints and muscles or make spinal adjustments or decompressions. 

Rather than using medicine or surgeries to perform their work, they are proponents of massage therapy, exercise, nutrition, ultrasound therapy, and other techniques to refresh your body and re-establish an equilibrium conducive to total body wellness. Many of their treatments also improve mental health and can even alleviate or improve headaches, anxiety, and depression.

How Do I Know If a Chiropractor Can Help?

First, it never hurts to consult a chiropractor with any pain, nerve, or mobility issues you are experiencing, especially if they are located in the neck or back. Even if you have not experienced an injury, their services are still helpful in reducing stress and anxiety. 

Their adjustments can help maintain system balance as a preventative measure for potential injuries. Sports athletes and others engaged in regular, rigorous activities participate in a chiropractic care plan for this reason. 

Nonetheless, here are some reasons why you may wish to consult their services, especially after suffering a car accident: 

Whiplash

The result of the head whipping back and forth suddenly, which is frequent in sudden car collisions, can result in whiplash. This type of injury often involves the neck’s tendons, muscles, nerves, and discs. While the pain can certainly manifest in this location, pain, and discomfort can also extend into the shoulders, arms, and back. You may experience dizziness, blurred vision, or memory problems as additional symptoms. 

Headaches

Headaches may result from whiplash or another factor, such as neck or spinal misalignment. They may also result from non-accident related issues, such as dehydration or reduced blood flow, impacting the amount of oxygen reaching the brain. 

Injured Joints, Muscles, or Ligaments

Damage to certain aspects of the musculoskeletal system can lead to soreness and reduced mobility. Chiropractors can use spinal manipulation to improve blood flow and relieve pain in target areas, making it easier to function daily and restoring movement to stiff regions. 

This treatment also makes it easier to perform exercises that can restore full movement. However, for serious mobility issues, you may seek to consult a physical therapist specializing in treatment plans to restore or improve mobility. 

Back Pain

Few ailments can shut a person down faster than severe back pain. Fortunately, chiropractors are experts in various techniques to get you back on your feet and reduce your agony. This can range from procedures as simple as massages to more advanced techniques such as trigger point therapies and myofascial release, which work to reduce tension around the spine. 

Sometimes the ailment results from a bulging or herniated disc, and chiropractors use spinal decompression therapy to stretch the spine, releasing pressure that can cause pain or even affect nearby nerves. Chiropractors often perform spinal manipulation by hand or use a special spinal decompression machine, which usually consists of a massage table with segmented sections that operate independently to help stretch the spine under their supervision, along with those of monitors. 

Shooting Pain in your Legs

Sometimes, leg pain results from a compressed nerve or spinal disc issue elsewhere in the body. In these cases, chiropractors use their manipulation techniques to take pressure off the underlying culprit, which may be similar to how they treat back pain and spinal problems. 

Long-Term Benefits

Using chiropractor services after an auto accident can prevent some ailments before they become a significant problem. Even if you do not feel like you suffered an injury, there can be inflammation from minor tears in muscles and ligaments that treatment can alleviate before it blooms into a more significant problem. 

Sometimes injured muscles from accidents develop scar tissue, too, and a chiropractor can break down scar buildup to prevent or reduce soreness and stiffness, leading to a faster recovery period. Similarly, massage therapy and adjustments can improve minor injuries before they develop into an even more severe situation down the line. 

The Bottom Line

A good chiropractor can make a world of difference after you experience a car accident, whether you have evident and detectable injuries or not. While you should always consult with a health professional first to ensure there are no severe health risks due to the collision, chiropractor services can serve as an effective, holistic treatment option for car accident recovery. From whiplash to back pain, spinal adjustments and specialized therapy techniques can improve injuries, reduce pain, and speed recovery. Massage therapy is often considered both fun and relaxing, and can improve the state of your mental health in addition to its other benefits.