Following a motor vehicle accident, a patient may present with some or all of the following symptoms:
• tightness/stiffness at the neck and/or back
• headaches
• dizziness
• blurry vision
• aching
• pain at the neck and/or back
• tingling, numbness in the upper and/or lower extremities.
These injuries can be classified as structural/mechanical or biomechanical/muscular problems.
Waiting to receive any form of treatment will cause these areas to develop scar tissue, leading to decreased ranges of motion, developing into chronic pain and leading to accelerated degenerative joint disease or arthritis.
Chiropractic treatment is a safe, gentle effective form of therapy equipped to address and care for these injuries. Following a motor vehicle accident, spinal misalignments resulting from a traumatic event can compress nerves that permit clear signals to allow the body to heal properly. Joint alignment or adjustments to the spine performed by a chiropractor helps release pressure on compressed nerves.
This allows the body to send clear signals to stimulate the nervous system and its corresponding tissues and the immune system to allow the body to heal naturally. Use of modalities, such as therapeutic ultrasound and electrical muscle stimulation, may additionally be incorporated to decrease irritation and inflammation to the surrounding tissues and make for a speedier recovery.
The injury protocol used by a chiropractor is designed to repair parts of the problems before more serious and long term neck and back conditions or damage can occur.