Car accidents are a fact of life, and very few people escape what seems like the inevitable at some point during their driving lives. Across the U.S., there were 6,756,000 traffic accidents, injuring 1,926,000 people in 2019. In the first month of 2022, New York City had 7,733 crashes within the city, resulting in injuries for 2,299 vehicle occupants.
While not all injuries require a trip to the emergency room or immediate medical attention, even a minor fender-bender often results in physical harm that may worsen over time if left untreated. An auto accident injury chiropractor can help you recover and get back to a pain-free life.
Reasons To See an Auto Accident Chiropractor
Traffic collisions are inconvenient and often costly. Auto accident injuries, especially those resulting in chronic pain, can limit the ability to participate in daily life, lowering the individual’s overall quality of life. Traditional medicine often treats these injuries with pain killers. It isn’t uncommon for people to forgo treatment for injuries that they think are not serious. However, doing so can lead to complications and very serious ailments. Seeking chiropractic care offers numerous benefits for those suffering from a car accident injury.
Chiropractic Care Provides Non-Invasive Treatment
Your body has innate mechanisms that allow it to heal from illnesses and injuries. However, sometimes it needs a little assistance. Chiropractors use techniques that support what your body does naturally, promoting healing without surgery or other invasive procedures.
While some injuries are so severe that surgery is the only viable option, many of the most common physical damages people sustain from a car accident can heal without surgery when given the proper care. If you require surgery, chiropractors can help with post-surgery recovery.
Chiropractic Methods Alleviate Pain Without Medication
Injuries are often painful, and we understand the need and desire to alleviate the pain. Getting treatment from a chiropractor in Queens can achieve this goal without medication. Opioid use disorder is at a crisis level in America, with an estimated 2 million people addicted to opioid prescription medication. Doctors prescribe these heavy hitters to help patients deal with pain, but there are alternatives.
At Chiropractic Approach, we don’t prescribe drugs. Instead, we use techniques like chiropractic adjustments that reduce and eliminate pain. Evidence shows that chiropractic treatment is often more effective than traditional medical care, with 94% of chiropractic patients indicating a significant reduction in pain, compared to 69% of those who receive standard medical care.
Chiropractic Treatment Reduces Inflammation and Scarring
When you have an injury, your body’s immune system reacts quickly, sending inflammatory cells and cytokines to the damaged area. The onslaught of the immune system first responders causes swelling and inflammation. While this response is natural, trauma disrupts your body’s immune system and can also inhibit the healing process. Furthermore, when your body attempts to heal soft-tissue injuries, it can develop scar tissue.
Chiropractors use techniques that encourage healing while reducing inflammation. Getting rid of the swelling increases blood flow to the injured site, a critical component in the healing process. The practitioners at Chiropractic Approach also utilize methods that break up scar tissue, allowing for new soft-tissue growth to replace damaged tissues.
Chiropractic Care Speeds Up the Recovery Process
After a car accident, the road to health can be often long and painful, especially when you don’t get the help you need. An auto injury chiropractor provides your body with the support it needs to get you back to pain-free living. A personal injury chiropractor boosts your body’s natural responses and helps it get out of its own way. The result is that you recover faster than you would without adequate treatment. Our skilled practitioners also provide additional supportive methods for a holistic approach to health and healing.
Chiropractic Methods Improve Range of Motion
While the body’s natural healing mechanisms are impressive, they can be more fast than effective. As a result, you may end up with a system that does not function as well as it did before your injuries. When soft tissue heals, it is not as flexible or pliable, leaving you with stiffness and a decreased range of motion.
Auto accident injury treatment from a chiropractor utilizes manual techniques and technological methods that improve your range of motion as you heal. Our approach promotes a return to a well-functioning system, with the flexibility of movement you enjoyed before your car accident. Some patients find that they end up with a better range of motion through chiropractic treatment than they had previously.
Chiropractic Treatment Prevents Complications
Many seemingly minor injuries can lead to chronic issues and complications when left untreated. If you have a joint injury, it may turn into arthritis. Nerve damage may become permanent without the right kind of treatment.
Many people who suffer from whiplash injuries can develop chronic neck pain and issues later in life. Research indicates that people with head injuries are at risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Auto accident treatment performed by skilled and knowledgeable chiropractors encourages complete recovery, reducing the risk for complications and chronic issues.
The Injuries an Auto Injury Chiropractor Treats
Chiropractors treat injuries and diseases of the neuromusculoskeletal systems. These systems encompass your skeletal structure, soft tissues, and nerves. They exist throughout your body and impact almost every aspect of your health and well-being. When these systems are not functioning as they should, it can produce a cascading effect that impedes healthy functioning in other systems.
Car accidents often cause damage to the neuromusculoskeletal system. The types of injuries we treat might surprise you. We regularly work with car accident patients who have the following injuries:
- Whiplash: This neck injury is one of the most common injuries from rear-end collisions. It occurs when the neck muscles, tendons and ligaments stretch too far and faster than they can handle. The cervical discs, vertebrae, and nerves may also sustain damage. An estimated 3 million people suffer from this condition every year.
- Back injuries: Auto accidents often result in strains and sprains in the back. We often see patients who have lower back muscle and tendon strains or ligament sprains. Overextending the soft tissues leads to these conditions, and it doesn’t take much for the lower back to feel the impact of a traffic accident.
- Spinal column injuries: These injuries occur in the vertebrae, discs, and nerves located along the spine. Severe spinal damage is a medical emergency. However, the spinal column may also sustain injuries that are not life-threatening but are still serious conditions. At Chiropractic Approach, we address spinal misalignment issues, bulging and slipped discs, and pinched nerves.
- Leg and arm pain: You don’t need to break a bone to experience pain in your legs or arms after a car accident. Soft-tissue and nerve damage are common. These can originate in the limbs or along the spine, radiating out to the extremities. A chiropractor in Queens determines the source of the pain and develops an appropriate treatment plan.
- Headaches: People who have a car accident often find that they develop headaches. There are numerous potential causes for post-trauma headaches, ranging from tension to head injuries. Determining the source is the first step in the healing process.
Car accident injuries sometimes show up days or weeks after the crash. Though the injury occurs due to the accident, the symptoms take time to manifest. Additionally, minor injuries may not produce significant symptoms, leading people to overlook them or brush them off. They seek treatment only when their symptoms intensify and the condition worsens. Getting early chiropractic care helps you heal from your injuries before they turn into bigger issues.
A Chiropractic Approach to Healing Car Accident Injuries
Each year, more than 35 million Americans receive treatment from a chiropractor. Many utilize their chiropractor’s services to maintain a healthy life, while others seek treatment for injuries or acute pain. Often, patients don’t know what their injury is; they just know where it hurts. Before developing a treatment plan, a chiropractor conducts a thorough assessment to determine the root cause.
An auto accident chiropractor utilizes manual and technologically assisted techniques to treat neuromusculoskeletal system injuries. At Chiropractic Approach, we offer a comprehensive approach to treatment that encourages healing and reduces or eliminates pain. Our practitioners create a treatment plan that addresses your specific injuries. They may incorporate any of the following methods:
- Spinal manipulation
- Manual therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Electrotherapy
- Joint mobilization
- Heat and ice treatment
- Therapeutic exercises
We also can combine chiropractic treatment with nutritional guidance to promote whole-body health and improve your healing potential. Our chiropractors are happy to coordinate services with orthopedic specialists, physical therapy clinics, neurologists and other professionals to ensure you get the help you need to recover from your injuries.
The Place to Go for a Chiropractor in Queens
When you need an auto accident chiropractor, the professionals at Chiropractic Approach are here for you. Our practitioners offer comprehensive, whole-health chiropractic solutions for car accident patients. With more than 70 years of combined experience, we bring a wealth of experience and knowledge in chiropractic care to the New York City area. We accept no-fault insurance, workers’ compensation, and some insurance plans. We also stay on top of current techniques, adapting our methods as new and more effective techniques arise. Our team is ready to welcome you to our center. Schedule your chiropractic consultation today.
Sources:
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813141
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/nypd/downloads/pdf/traffic_data/cityacc-en-us.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK458653/
https://www.acatoday.org/research/what-research-shows/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5997205/
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/may-discovered-cause-multiple-sclerosis-ms-2017110312670
