Feeling Pain After A Car Accident?

It can happen in the blink of an eye. You’re pulling out of a parking space or crossing through an intersection and before you know you’ve been hit by another car and everything gets turned upside down.            

No one wants to think about getting into a car accident, but knowing what to expect in the event of a worst case scenario can help ensure you (and anyone else in the car with you at the time) don’t suffer from the impact of those potential injuries for weeks or months to come.

When it comes to major car accidents the most severe injuries may seem immediately obvious, but that isn’t always the case.

When it comes to auto accident pain here are four major considerations to keep in mind no matter how you’re feeling immediately after the car accident.

Four Things You Need To Know About Pain After a Car Accident

Seeking Emergency Care

It’s never wrong to seek emergency medical attention after an auto accident. No matter the severity of the accident, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. If you experience head trauma or dizziness after a car crash you should seek emergency care because neurological and vascular injury may not be immediately obvious.

Of the millions of hospital visits that occur as a result of accident-related injuries every year, only a fraction actually result in being admitted to the hospital. Still, where you health is concerned it’s always better to be cautious and auto accident injuries should be treated as quickly as possible.

Major Injuries Aren’t Always Obvious

The truth is most auto accident injuries aren’t always obvious. [1] In reality, the trauma to the body a person can experience during a car crash can takes weeks, months, or years to fully manifest itself into seriously chronic pain. Whiplash can be a prime example of these kinds of injuries.

If you or someone you know has recently been involved in an auto accident, the chances of being affected by whiplash are high. A neck strain caused by the sudden jerking of the head forwards or backwards; the force of whiplash can cause the tendons, muscles, and ligaments in the neck to stretch or tear.

A car accident happens so fast you may not even realize whiplash has occurred. Here are a few of the most common symptoms associated with whiplash you should be aware of:

• Decreased range of motion in the neck
• Headaches
• Tenderness
• A stiff feeling when you try to move your head from side to side or up and down

Note that these symptoms don’t necessarily include pain. If you start to experience any of these feelings, schedule an appointment with a chiropractor as quickly as possible. A chiropractor will be able to help you assess the full extent of the damage and start to reverse the impact of neck and head trauma.

Minor Accidents Can Lead to Major Pain

There’s a common misconception that physical pain and injury are only ever as bad as the accident itself. This simply isn’t true. The force of impact caused by what might look like a simple “fender bender” on the outside can lead to serious long-term injury if left untreated.

Hidden injuries and delayed symptoms in a car accident aren’t uncommon and if you start to experience headaches, low back pain, tenderness, or reduced range of motion you could be feeling the impact from an accident that’s days or even weeks old.

Chiropractic Care Can Help You Avoid Chronic Pain After An Accident

People who receive Chiropractic care after an auto accident are less likely to experience long-term pain and the sooner you seek care the better your results can be.

By diagnosing neck, back, and musculoskeletal injuries with on-site X-ray or other evaluation techniques, a chiropractor can use a combination of physical therapy and manual care to include chiropractic adjustment to help treat the full extent of your injures before the pain starts to set in.

Make sure your doctor understands the full extent of your car crash as well as any immediate symptoms you might have experienced following the accident. Knowing how you felt in the minutes and hours following an auto accident can provide valuable insight into the trauma your body experienced at the point of impact.

At Grovetown Chiropractic your care is always our primary concern. Whether you’re experiencing pain after a car accident, or still have pain from an older accident, we’re here for you. Grovetown Chiropractic offers natural and effective care, onsite X-Ray imaging if necessary, and we’re happy to work with your attorney or insurance providers to get you the care you need when you need it.

Schedule your appointment today by calling (706) 400-4333.

Dr. Don Seals D.C.