Car accidents are extremely common and so too are injuries that occur as a result of being involved in a road traffic collision. Estimates suggest that as many as 3 million people in the U.S are injured in car accidents every year. Fortunately, many of the injuries sustained are fairly minor. Although you may be left with some ongoing issues, your health and wellbeing are largely left intact.
Many people who have been involved in an accident are recommended to visit a chiropractor. This is because a large percentage of the injuries that are sustained in vehicle collisions involve the musculoskeletal system. This is the spine, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and other structures that support our skeleton. Although these injuries may not be obvious at first because they are internal, issues can develop even after what seems like a very minor accident. For example, whiplash – which occurs as a result of the structures in the neck being overextended – may not cause symptoms for hours or even days after the collision.
Chiropractic care is a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that enables has some benefits following an accident. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should schedule an appointment with your chiropractor in the days following your collision.
1. Reduction in inflammation
One of the biggest benefits of chiropractic treatment is that it can dramatically reduce inflammation within the body. This is something that often doesn’t show up on any tests that you may have following your car accident, but that will occur around injury sites, including even the tiniest of muscle tears. Did you know that muscle tears are one of the most common injuries following a car accident and one of the key reasons that your body may feel ‘beat up’ in the days following the crash? Fortunately, when you undergo chiropractic treatment, the process helps to release natural anti-inflammatory substances within your body, reducing inflammation and its associated effects.
2. Improved range of motion
Moving around may feel difficult following a car accident, and your joints may have a limited range of motion. This is normally a result of the inflammation that occurs after injury. As you might expect, limited movement can severely impact on your day to day life, and so any treatment which improves your range of motion can be extremely valuable. By reducing inflammation through chiropractic care, not only will you be able to move around more effectively more quickly, but blood and nutrients can flow to the injury site more easily, improving the rate at which your body will heal.
3. Scar tissue prevention
Scar tissue is something that can form both externally and internally. You have almost certainly suffered muscle damage as a result of your car accident, and as these heal, scar tissue may develop. The trouble with scar tissue on muscles is that it can cause the muscle to become shorter, thicker and less elastic and flexible. This can ultimately end up leaving you with fewer working muscle fibers, decreasing your muscle strength and affecting your movement.
4. Natural pain relief
As we know, some degree of discomfort is very normal and to be expected following a car accident. However, studies have found that patients who undergo chiropractic treatment after their collision are less likely to experience long-term issues with pain. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, inflammation and pain go hand in hand, so by reducing inflammation, you can also reduce your pain levels. Secondly, chiropractic manipulations can stimulate the release of natural pain-relieving endorphins.
5. You could prevent long-term effects from your accident
Prompt chiropractic care has been shown to help prevent patients experience long-term issues as a result of their accident. This is because getting the spine back into proper alignment as quickly as possible can reduce inflammation and enable the body to start healing straight away.
If you have experienced a car accident and would like more information about how chiropractic care can help, please contact our expert team by calling our offices.