Frequently Asked Questions About Auto Accident Injuries
Our four-chiropractor team here at Nichols Chiropractic has helped a great many individuals overcome the pain and other symptoms associated with auto accident injuries -- and we have fielded many questions from anxious patients along the way. If you have been involved in an auto accident, you may be wondering about many of these issues yourself. Here are some frequently asked auto accident injury questions.
I have no injury symptoms. Why do I still need a spinal screening? You might be surprised to learn that many auto accident injuries can "hide" for weeks or months without producing pain or other obvious symptoms. During that time, however, internal scarring and other damage is actually making your condition worse and worse, until finally you experience severe problems. A spinal screening allows us to identify and correct those lurking problems ASAP.
I was barely bumped in the accident. How did I get hurt? It takes very little acceleration to sustain an impact injury when massive objects such as automobiles are involved. The transfer of force to the body can easily throw the body around, dislocating vertebrae, injuring soft tissues and causing spinal disc problems.
What is whiplash? Whiplash is a common auto accident injury (although other accidents can also cause it) in which the head is thrown forward with enough force to make it rebound back again, a motion resembling the lash of a whip. The resulting upper cervical subluxation, herniated discs, pinched nerves and torn muscles may leave you with neck pain, hand or arm problems, headaches, vision problems, dizziness, trouble thinking clearly and other complaints.
How did my accident cause this leg pain? Lower lumbar subluxation from the force of an auto accident can cause discs to pinch the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that carries motor and sensory signals to all parts of the leg. So those shooting pains, tingling, numbness, weakness and other leg problems you're experiencing may well be sciatica.
How does chiropractic adjustment help? Your chiropractor can undo the dislocations created by an auto accident by gently shifting the spinal column back into its normal alignment. This helps to restore normal nerve function for whiplash or sciatica sufferers, relieve unnatural muscle stress and put your body back in balance.
How do you treat my disc problems and pinched nerves? Traction is a highly effective chiropractic technique that we use to "encourage" the discs back into position. This repositioning helps the discs heal while also relieving the nerve impingement.
What other forms of treatment can I expect to receive? Your chiropractor may recommend supportive therapies such as massage therapy to relieve tissue pain and inflammation, Active Release therapy (ART) to free muscles trapped by tension or scarring, and physical therapy to help you regain your strength and range of motion.
Have More Auto Accident Injury Questions?
Want to learn more about our auto accident injury care? Call (785) 537-2211 today to schedule a spinal screening!