7 Reasons to Visit a Chiropractor After a Car Accident

In the US, there are six million car accidents every year, causing injury to three million people.

While media coverage of terrible car crashes leaves us wondering how anyone escaped from them alive, even seemingly minor car accidents can leave those involved with debilitating injuries.

But in other cases, car accident injuries can be subtler, resulting in long-term issues that may not manifest themselves until later. Because these invisible injuries can become serious if left untreated, it's vital to see a chiropractor after a car accident.

As well as ensuring you address any known or unknown issues resulting from the accident, chiropractic also provides many long-term health benefits.

Here are seven key reasons why you should visit a car accident chiropractor as soon as possible.

1. Identify Injuries

One of the key reasons to see a chiropractor after a car accident is to identify the extent of your injuries. Many people walk away from a car accident seemingly unharmed. But many underlying issues, such as whiplash, can result in chronic pain and immobility if they are not treated as soon as possible.

Bear in mind that it can take hours for the symptoms of whiplash, such as pain, nausea, headache, soreness, and dizziness to manifest themselves. Other injuries may not surface until days or even weeks after an accident.

As such, it's crucial to see a whiplash chiropractor straight away, rather than waiting for pain to appear. Treating your injuries, no matter whether you can feel them yet or not, can mean the difference between a fast recovery and chronic long-term pain.

2. Reduce Pain

As a form of preventative health for a variety of issues, chiropractic works to both target any existing pain that you may feel and to prevent future pain from surfacing as a result of your car accident injuries.

This is because chiropractic involves specific spinal adjustments that help to release pain-reducing hormones. These hormones target pain in the affected areas, such as the neck or back. But they also help to relieve pain through your whole body by restoring the body's natural healing process.

3. All-Natural Healing

Many people visit their regular doctor or urgent care after a car accident. Because most medical professionals aim to treat the symptoms rather than the cause, they'll most likely prescribe you painkillers.

But these painkillers are often strong and highly addictive. And they only work to mask pain, rather than helping to address the cause of it.

When you visit a car accident chiropractor, they will provide effective pain relief without any need for drugs or medications. This is because chiropractic treats the source of the injury with a focus on all-natural healing, rather than masking the symptoms with drugs.

4. Restore Range of Motion

A lot of the pain that comes as a result of a car accident injury, especially in your neck and back, is due to inflammation.

This inflammation slows down your body's natural healing process by limiting blood circulation and blocking the flow of nutrients around your body. This can then compromise your body's proper range of motion. And, struggling with stiffness and restricted movement may even result in further injury.

To avoid this happening, it's not just a case of visiting a chiropractor, but when to see a chiropractor. The sooner you go, the sooner your chiropractor can restore normal function to your body. Through spinal manipulation and adjustment, your chiropractor helps mobilize your body and restore its normal range of motion.

5. Promote a Faster Recovery

After a car accident, as well as inflammation, there will be scar tissue in your muscles. This scar tissue can result in discomfort and stiffness.

Chiropractic involves the use of specific techniques such as spinal adjustments to target damaged areas and break down scar tissue at a quicker rate. This, in turn, speeds up the healing process and promotes a faster and more complete recovery.

6. Avoid Long-Term Pain and Complications

One of the most important reasons to see a chiropractor now rather than later is to avoid the possibility of long-term chronic pain that may come as a result of your car accident injury.

Many people put off treatment after a car accident and dismiss minor symptoms, but this only makes matters worse. A chiropractor can treat these minor symptoms in a quick and efficient way if you visit them immediately.

But leave it too long and these untreated injuries turn into serious problems. As a result, you may need invasive medical attention, including the possibility of surgery. And, even after surgery, you may be left with chronic pain and need to take drugs to manage these resulting complications.

7. Support Any Claims or Resulting Issues

If you have been injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another person, you may consider taking legal action against them.

When you visit a car accident chiropractor, they will record all your injuries in a detailed report. This report then documents the extent of your injuries as a result of the car accident to support any legal claim you wish to make. Likewise, the chiropractor's report acts as confirmation of your injuries for work-related absence and any other issues that may occur as a result of the car accident.

Why You Should Visit a Chiropractor After a Car Accident

As this list shows, it's vital to visit a chiropractor after a car accident for the good of your health, both now and in the future.

No matter how minor the damage to the cars involved, hidden injuries that come as a result can plague you for the rest of your life if you don't address them as soon as possible.

If you've sustained injuries from a car accident, contact us today to find out more about starting your healing and recovery process.