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Even a minor automobile accident can have major effects on your health. When one automobile is struck by another, thousands of pounds of force are exerted on the neck and spine. What initially may seem like a rather small incident can result in painful injury to the ligaments, soft tissue, and discs of the neck and spine.

You fixed your car, now fix your spine!

The spine (or spinal cord) is the primary part of the central nervous system. It affects both psychological and physical functions, and is responsible for carrying information regarding both voluntary functions (e.g., walking) and involuntary functions (e.g., breathing) throughout the body.

The discipline of chiropractic was a natural outgrowth of the philosophy that “a healthy nervous system, particularly the spine, is the key to a healthy body”. So you can imagine how vital our spinal cord is for a healthy life. Any interruption in delivering such information as a bone, muscle or nerve disorder can lead to disequilibrium of the entire body system, resulting in health problems which may increase the risk of nerve damage.

What is chiropractic therapy?

Chiropractic therapy is concerned with overall health. It provides a safe and natural way of healing the whole body, and is the most recommended form of alternative medicine. This therapy is intended to identify and correct abnormalities in neuromusculoskeletal functioning involving the spine and muscles, including mobility dysfunction and nerve impairment.

Chiropractic treatment for car accident victims

When a car accident occurs, the victims often attribute their injuries to the heavy impact of the car wreck. They may experience an intense pain in the neck area, shoulder or spine as a result of the sudden jolt, but the real extent of the damage which has occurred may not be known until two or three days after the accident – or even much later. A collision may knock the spine out of alignment, resulting in muscle tension.

Many types of chiropractic treatment can be utilized to help a car accident victim, and the chiropractor may choose to employ more than one technique at any given point. Various forms of treatment include therapeutic exercise, stretching exercise, ice and heat therapy, lifestyle coaching, and ultrasound therapy.

The most common car accident injury treated by chiropractors is whiplash. This type of injury can result in low back pain, jaw pain, neck pain and stiffness, and/or shoulder pain. The client may also experience mild headache, muscle spasms and fatigue. The chiropractor will attempt to alleviate or reduce these symptoms by realigning the spine.

A common form of chiropractic treatment for whiplash is electronic muscle stimulation, also known as “muscle stim”. As the title suggests, this treatment involves penetration of the skin, muscles and joints with small currents of electricity, causing the muscles to relax, thereby increasing range of motion and strength. Patients who receive this treatment generally visit their chiropractor two to three times a week for a month-and-a-half.

For muscle spasms, massage therapy – in which the therapist presses, rubs and/or otherwise manipulates the muscles and other soft tissues of the body – is highly recommended. This form of treatment can help to alleviate pain and stiffness and aid in proper alignment of the spine.

In conclusion, anyone who has been in a traumatic automobile accident should have a complete chiropractic examination, even if they have no obvious symptoms, as the damage from spinal nerve stress may take months or even years to surface. The moral of the story is simply this: A simple chiropractic exam and proper treatment immediately following an accident can save a victim from much pain and disability later.