If you are involved in a car accident, emotions will surely be running high, which makes it easy to ignore the most common symptoms of injury sustained in collisions. Failure to see a specialist even after a minor incident could prove costly in the end, as you may end up with a chronic condition that takes years to heal and costs thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Surgery and medication are typically the “go-to” treatments for victims of car accidents, but a better alternative may be to see a chiropractor. These professionals may not only allow you to enjoy a pain-free life, but perhaps also prevent serious long-term conditions from taking hold. Below, we offer five reasons why you should get in touch with a chiropractor after being involved in a car accident.
1. Injuries Are Not Always Obvious
While broken bones, cuts, and bruises are easy to spot, conditions such as whiplash are not always apparent in the immediate aftermath of an accident. If you are involved in an accident, your adrenaline levels will spike, which could disguise symptoms and pain.
Pains, aches, and inflammation tend to reveal themselves when the body calms down. This could take a day or two, but for whiplash sufferers, it may take longer for symptoms such as dizziness, neck pain, headaches, blurred vision, and stiff neck to become apparent.
The best way to deal with whiplash symptoms is to catch them early. A chiropractor uses techniques such as spinal adjustment and special exercises to control damage, minimize pain, and reduce swelling. By seeing this specialist immediately after an accident, you can avoid weeks of pain and start the recovery process right away.
Ignoring the pain associated with a car accident could lead to long-term damage. For example, if you suffer a minor injury to a joint or bone, you could cause substantial damage in another accident such as a trip and fall incident because your body is in a weakened state already.
2. Treatments Are Non-invasive
If you wait too long to get treatment or the pain becomes too severe, you may be tempted to opt for surgery, but this is a costly and often poor choice. For example, up to 90 percent of the 500,000+ disk surgeries carried out in the United States annually are ineffective according to research. Lumbar Spinal Fusion surgery costs an average of $34,500 while Decompression surgery costs approximately $24,000.
Only consider invasive surgery as a last resort. If you are suffering from back pain after a car accident, visit a chiropractor, as he or she can use spinal manipulation to realign the joints of the spine to significantly reduce pain and promote healing.
Many other safe, non-invasive techniques have proven effective, including stretches and massage, heat or ice pack application, and special exercises. These methods can provide fast pain relief and even tackle the underlying symptoms in some cases.
3. To Avoid Needless Pain Medication
Pain medication is sometimes necessary; for example, Ibuprofen can prove to be an effective short-term solution if you suffer inflammation. However, too many Americans are prone to reaching for pills whenever they feel a slight pain or ache. Pain medication can also hide injuries, which delays healing.
Additionally, medication can be addictive while also impairing your judgment, especially when you are behind the wheel of a car. Once you become too reliant on painkillers, you may experience withdrawal symptoms and more pain when you stop taking them.
Chiropractic care offers effective pain management without the need for addictive painkillers. Techniques such as stretching, spinal manipulation, and massage can reduce pain, heal your body, increase blood flow, and strengthen your muscles.
4. To Avoid Chronic Conditions
Minor injuries sustained in an accident can become serious medical conditions if left untreated. For example, symptoms of whiplash can continue for years if you do not seek treatment, and this chronic condition can lead to emotional anguish to match the physical pain. If you are involved in a car accident, seek immediate chiropractic care to boost your chances of a full and speedy recovery.
5. To Improve Your Chances of Making a Successful Claim
Admittedly, filing a claim is one of the last things you will be thinking about in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. However, the reality is that you may need to make an insurance claim.
Unfortunately, the longer it takes you to receive treatment and a diagnosis, the more difficult things will get when making a claim. If you visit a chiropractor for treatment relating to the injuries sustained in your accident, it is easier to link your injuries to the incident in a claim.
Conclusion
Receiving chiropractic treatment after a car accident has both physical and practical benefits. Not only are you likely to enjoy pain relief, you achieve it without the need for potentially harmful drugs or unnecessary and expensive surgery. Additionally, you avoid long-term injury and boost your chances of a positive outcome if you file a claim for injury damages or make a claim to your insurance company.
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