Unfortunately, we’ve all been there. A mundane commute home from work or a routine trip to the grocery store that’s disrupted by
For those readers who are not one of the millions of people in a car accident every year:
No, no, I don’t wish this on anyone. As a chiropractor in Springfield, IL, whenever I turn around, another car accident victim or personal injury case walks through the Springfield Wellness Center’s door. This is America, after all; we love to drive!
I’m not licensed to deal with the emotional trauma of a car accident, that is way above my pay grade, but I am uniquely positioned to help with a speedy recovery from any physical injuries. Many accidents lead to lingering injuries, causing chronic pain and discomfort more disruptive than the accident itself.
Medical treatment after a car accident is crucial, but conventional treatment often focuses on immediate relief rather than long-term recovery. We all want to get out of pain as fast as possible, but a temporary reprieve is just one revolution of the medical merry-go-round.
Temporary pain relief is meaningless. Actual recovery comes when we’re free from the fear of a relapse. That’s where chiropractic care steps in!
I’ve never been wrong before! Different from conventional medical treatment, chiropractic care offers a natural, non-invasive approach focused on correcting the underlying source of symptoms, correcting structural imbalances, and restoring physical function, all the while promoting the body’s innate healing superpower.
Anyone would be discombobulated (a real word) after a car accident. I would expect nothing less from myself. In those moments of confusion, disorientation, frustration, and agitation, remember these five FACTS. They set a course for full physical recovery in record time with minimal hassle and headache.
1. Low Speed Accidents Can Cause Injury
The good news is, if there’s no car damage, there’s no damage to the passengers.
Even a fender bender can cause significant injuries. It only takes a 5-8mph collision to cause an injury. We might as well be walking!
The dangerous thing is that most of these low-speed collision injuries, like whiplash, don’t always show immediate symptoms. The force of a slow-speed crash can jolt the spine and neck, leading to subluxations – spinal misalignments. We think we’re on top of the world, kissed by fate, leaving the scene of the crime without any scratches or scrapes, but under the surface, trouble is brewing.
Leaving these injuries untreated allows them to fester, causing long-term pain and dysfunction and making them more complicated to treat. This is why anyone involved in a car accident, no matter how tame it seems, should seek chiropractic care immediately to ensure even the most minor injury doesn’t snowball into a chronic issue that haunts every waking moment of their lives.
2. Pain May Not Be The Only Symptom
This piggybacks so nicely off the last point.
Pain is our body’s alarm, letting us know there is a problem we need to address. The problem with pain is that it’s the last symptom to present itself and the first to go away. That means that even when we’re not in pain, even when our alarm is not blaring, our body is still experiencing an emergency.
After a car accident, it’s crucial to listen to your body. Symptoms of an injury can go beyond pain to include stiffness, reduced range of motion, headaches, dizziness, and even fatigue. These symptoms might not appear immediately, surfacing days or even weeks after the incident. Chiropractic care helps diagnose and treat these subtle yet impactful symptoms, ensuring they don’t sneak up and sideline our daily activities.
3. Rest Isn’t Always the Best Advice
Nothing’s better than rest.
Except some things are.
Rest is critical for allowing our bodies to focus on repair and healing, but after a car accident, rest is not always best. Too much sedentary behavior can lead to stiffness and weakened muscles, complicating recovery.
At the Springfield Wellness Center, we know that any car accident recovery plan has to include exercises and stretches to keep the musculoskeletal system engaged. We provide patients with tailored stretches and exercises that support optimal healing, keeping the body moving safely to prevent atrophy.
Exactly…
4. Recovery Times Vary
Everyone’s body is unique, and so is their recovery journey. Many factors determine recovery time, like the severity of the accident, pre-existing conditions, and overall health. We consider these variables when creating a personalized recovery plan that evolves with the healing process.
No one plans on getting into a car crash. Except maybe:
Even so, it’s essential to regularly maintain our health so that if something unpredictable ever happens, we’ve given ourselves the best chance for a quick recovery.
5. Chiropractic Care is Essential to Recovery
Chiropractic care isn’t just about chiropractic adjustments and relieving back pain. It’s about holistic recovery, enhancing the body’s natural healing process through manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, and lifestyle advice. By realigning the spine and improving body mechanics, chiropractic care helps reduce pain, restore function, and significantly shorten the road to recovery.
Structural problems require structural solutions. The structural damage done in a car accident can’t be resolved with:
Chiropractic care focuses on restoring structural dysfunction to optimize the nervous system so that every aspect of our body—all the systems, organs, tissues, muscles, joints, and even cells—can function as they were designed.
No matter how minor an accident may seem, we can’t leave our health to chance. At the Springfield Wellness Center, we specialize in helping car accident victims achieve optimal recovery through personalized chiropractic care, relieving an accident’s physical and logistical burden. Remember, insurance companies do this every day. We’re on your side, making sure you get the care you deserve.
Don’t wait for symptoms to worsen. Give us a call or schedule a time to meet with one of our amazing doctors. The road to relief doesn’t have to be a winding, pothole-ridden alley; with our help, it’s a newly paved boulevard.