If you have recently sustained an injury in an auto accident, you may be looking for relief for issues like neck pain, whiplash, back pain, or headaches. Seeking proper treatment for auto injuries will ensure optimal health and minimize the long-term effects. Auto accidents can lead to dizziness, headaches, back pain, nerve damage, and sleep disturbances. Seeking chiropractic treatment as soon as possible will help you have a more effective healing process.
Chiropractic care from Grant Chiropractic will help adjust your body and bones to help with pain management. Chiropractic can help you have a better quality of life and alleviate more injuries in the future. Our treatment solutions will help you experience less pain, enjoy daily activities, and exercise after auto injuries. When you are free from pain and discomfort, you can focus on bettering yourself in other ways, taking care of your family, or working.
Different Treatment Methods From Grant Chiropractic
Depending on the extent of your injury, multiple treatment methods may be used to treat your discomfort. There are multiple methods used in chiropractic treatment to help you achieve better overall health. Here are a few different methods that we may use for auto injuries.
Soft Tissue Therapy
This is a massage technique that will help loosen up your muscles and joints to help restore full mobility. Tissue massage is often done in preparation for spinal manipulation and other adjustment techniques to prepare the body. Soft tissue therapy helps reduce the pain during other therapy techniques but can also prevent muscle spasms and trigger points from injuries.
Spinal Manipulation
Using their hands, chiropractors use this method to help move the spinal discs, muscles, and bones into their proper place. Spinal manipulation will restore the proper alignment of your spine so that your brain and body can communicate effectively. This will limit pain, broken bones, and joint damage. After an auto accident, spinal manipulation may be the most effective way to limit pain and allow your body to heal correctly.
Decreasing Inflammation
Different types of chiropractic adjustments can help reduce inflammation after a car accident. Micro-tears and muscle damage are common following an auto accident, which can lead to inflamed muscles. Chiropractors will complete stretches and spinal manipulation to lower inflammation and scar tissue from auto injuries. After an auto accident, you will want to ensure that any hidden problems aren’t lingering under the surface. Chiropractic treatment is for your entire body to prevent long-term health conditions.
What To Expect During Your Chiropractic Visit
When you first visit a chiropractor, they will ask you questions about your overall health and existing conditions. This will help Grant Chiropractic create a comprehensive treatment plan that solves your issues rather than providing a temporary fix. A chiropractor may also ask you where you feel the most pain and feel for spinal issues or inflammation. During your first visit, chiropractors could perform some stretching or massage to loosen up the muscles.
Our customized treatment plans include a combination of chiropractic care, physical therapy, and home care. Our treatments will help restore joint mobility, relieve pain, and ease muscle stiffness that is common after auto accidents. We focus on treating what you are currently experiencing rather than placing people into a box.
Dr. Grant applies controlled and gentle adjustments to the spine to correct any dysfunction in a quick and efficient manner. In addition to his doctorate training, Dr. Grant regularly attends continuing education seminars each year so he can stay on top of recent treatments. For auto injuries especially, he is certified in Motor Vehicle Occupant Injuries and integrative medicine.
More About Grant Chiropractic
Our staff is trained and fully qualified to help those who have been in auto accidents to heal more efficiently. Grant Chiropractic wants you to be able to fully trust us with your health, so we listen to all of our customers’ health goals and specific needs. We have a responsive and caring attitude to help you feel comfortable when visiting your office.
Every member of our team wants you to feel better after you are the victim of a car accident. With compassion and knowledgeable treatment, we can help improve your flexibility, mobility, and overall health. Whether you are struggling with chronic pain or want to achieve a better fitness level, we can help with evidence-based chiropractic.
Should I See a Chiropractor After a Car Accident?
Yes, even if you feel pretty good right after the accident, getting checked is a smart first step.
One of the most common things we hear after an accident is:
“I felt fine at the scene.”
That’s completely understandable.
After a stressful event such as a collision, adrenaline and other stress hormones can temporarily reduce your awareness of pain. As your body begins to settle down, symptoms may become more noticeable.
You may wake up the next morning—or even a few days later—with:
- Neck stiffness or pain
- Headaches
- Shoulder pain
- Upper or lower back pain
- Muscle tightness or spasms
- Reduced range of motion
- Dizziness or feeling off-balance
- Numbness or tingling
- Difficulty sleeping
- General soreness
That’s why we encourage people to think of an accident evaluation as a baseline check for your health and recovery.
The sooner we understand what your body experienced, the sooner we can determine what, if anything, needs attention.
At Grant Chiropractic, we take a comprehensive approach. Your evaluation may include orthopedic and neurological testing, range-of-motion measurements, muscle and joint assessments, and, when appropriate, digital X-rays.
We don’t just look at where it hurts today. We want to understand the whole picture.
Can Symptoms Appear Days After an Auto Accident?
Absolutely.
Many people are surprised when they feel relatively normal immediately after an auto accident but become increasingly sore later.
Why?
Your body’s response to an auto accident is complicated. Adrenaline may temporarily reduce your awareness of pain, while inflammation and muscle guarding may become more noticeable as time passes.
You might notice:
Day 1: “I’m a little stiff.”
Day 2: “My neck is really sore.”
Day 3: “Why do I have a headache now?”
This doesn’t necessarily mean that something new happened.
It may mean that your body is responding to the original injury.
That’s one reason we recommend an evaluation even when your initial symptoms seem minor.
Can a Low-Speed Car Accident Really Cause Injuries?
Yes.
One of the most misunderstood things about automobile accidents is that vehicle speed alone doesn’t tell the entire story about what happened to the occupants.
A collision involves acceleration, deceleration, direction of impact, vehicle design, occupant position, seat-belt restraint, headrest position, and many other factors.
The movement of the occupant can occur extremely quickly—sometimes within a fraction of a second.
Your body normally has time to coordinate movement and respond to forces with enough time, but most crashes occur in 400-600 milliseconds and that causes injuries!
“But my car doesn’t look very damaged. Why do I hurt?”
This is an excellent question.
The amount of visible vehicle damage does not necessarily tell us exactly how much stress an occupant experienced.
Think about a baseball bat.
If you hit the outside of a parked car with a baseball bat, you might create a dent without creating the same type of acceleration that occurs when another vehicle transfers energy to the entire vehicle and its occupants.
Modern vehicles are also specifically designed with crush zones that can deform during a collision and absorb energy.
In some collisions, the vehicle may show substantial deformation.
In others, relatively little visible damage may occur.
That’s why we don’t diagnose the occupant’s injuries simply by looking at the vehicle.
We evaluate the person.
What Does a Newton’s Cradle Have to Do With a Car Accident?
Have you ever seen a Newton’s cradle?
It usually has 5 metal balls suspended in a row.
When one ball strikes the first ball, the motion is transmitted through the system, and the ball on the opposite end rapidly swings outward. The hitting ball (1st ball) represents the car that hit you, the middle 3 balls hardly move at all, representing the frame of the car), and the last ball represents your head.
It is a simple demonstration of the transfer of momentum.
Your body is obviously much more complicated than a Newton’s cradle—but the analogy can help explain why movement and energy can travel through a system even when the visible movement of one component seems relatively small.
In a collision, the vehicle, seat, torso, neck, and head don’t all move in exactly the same way.
Your head is relatively heavy and sits above a flexible, highly mobile neck.
That combination helps explain why the neck can experience substantial stress during a rapid acceleration or deceleration event.
Sometimes the vehicle tells only part of the story. Your body tells another part.
Should I Use Ice or Heat After an Auto Accident?
This is a question we hear frequently.
For many acute injuries, cold therapy may be useful during the early stages to help reduce pain and swelling.
We’ll show you when and how to use cold therapy based on your individual condition.
And if you’re using ice, remember:
Don’t place ice directly against your skin. Use an appropriate barrier and follow the recommendations provided by your healthcare professional.
Will Chiropractic Adjustments Help After a Car Accident?
Chiropractic care can be an important part of recovery for many people with musculoskeletal injuries after a collision.
Appropriate, carefully selected spinal manipulation can influence joint motion and neuromuscular function.
Research has found that spinal manipulation can produce immediate changes in lower-limb strength in some cases; elite athletes were 9% stronger and upto16% stronger in the average person. And that is after only one adjustment. Isn’t that amazing!
Another randomized study found that spinal manipulation improved strength imbalances between the legs for certain movements and increased strength of the weaker hip-abductor side compared with a placebo intervention.
At Grant Chiropractic, we don’t simply adjust everyone the same way.
Your treatment is based on your examination findings, symptoms, injury pattern, and stage of recovery.
Appropriate chiropractic care may help:
- Restore normal joint motion
- Reduce muscle guarding
- Improve mobility
- Reduce pain
- Improve function
- Support your return to normal activities
Our objective is not simply to make your spine “move.”
Our objective is to help your nervous system, joints, muscles, and supporting tissues work together more normally again.
How Long Will Recovery Take After an Auto Accident?
Every person—and every auto accident—is different.
Some patients improve significantly within a few weeks.
Others with more substantial injuries may require several months of care.
Recovery can be influenced by:
- Severity and type of collision
- Injuries sustained
- Previous injuries
- Age
- Overall health
- How soon appropriate care begins
- Sleep and stress
- Activity level
- Following home-care recommendations
We don’t believe in giving everyone the same cookie-cutter treatment plan.
Your body, your injuries, and your goals are unique.
We’ll monitor your progress and adjust your care as you recover.
Do I Need X-Rays After a Car Accident?
Not everyone needs X-rays.
Your examination helps determine whether imaging is appropriate.
At Grant Chiropractic, we have digital X-ray capabilities in our office, allowing us to obtain appropriate imaging conveniently when clinically indicated.
X-rays can provide valuable objective information about bone alignment, degenerative changes, fractures, and other findings.
If an MRI, CT scan, or other advanced imaging is indicated, we’ll help coordinate an appropriate referral.
Why is documentation important?
Your examination findings and appropriate imaging can create an objective medical record of what was found after the accident.
That information can be useful not only in guiding your treatment but also in documenting your medical history and progress.
Good documentation serves two purposes:
1. It helps your healthcare team understand how to treat you.
2. It creates a clear record of your condition and your recovery.
What If I’m Also Seeing a Medical Doctor after an Auto Accident?
That’s absolutely okay—and in many situations, we encourage it.
A chiropractor may focus on the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular components of your injury. Different healthcare professionals have different areas of expertise, diagnostic tools, and treatment options. but wehn we all see the same injury and how each provider treats ityou can
Your medical physicians, Physical therapists, orthopedic specialists, neurologists, and other professionals may each contribute something valuable and document aspects of your health.
A chiropractor may focus on the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular components of your injury.
We believe good healthcare is about teamwork.
When appropriate, we are happy to communicate and coordinate with other members of your healthcare team.
Our goal isn’t to replace another provider.
Our goal is to help you get the care you need.
Why Choose Grant Chiropractic After an Automobile Accident?
For more than 30 years, Grant Chiropractic has helped patients recover from automobile accident injuries.
We’ve helped well over a thousand people navigate the physical challenges that can follow a collision.
We combine:
Experience
More than three decades of chiropractic experience treating musculoskeletal injuries.
Comprehensive Evaluation
We look beyond the location of your pain to understand how the accident affected your body.
Chiropractic Care
Individualized chiropractic treatment designed around your examination findings.
In-House Physiotherapy
A variety of therapeutic options can be incorporated into your treatment plan when appropriate.
Digital X-Ray
Convenient on-site imaging when clinically indicated.
A Personal Approach
We want to know more than just “Where does it hurt?”
We want to know:
What do you want to get back to doing?
Maybe it’s working without pain.
Maybe it’s exercising.
Maybe it’s skiing.
Maybe it’s golfing.
Maybe it’s boating.
Maybe it’s playing with your children or grandchildren.
Maybe it’s simply waking up in the morning and feeling like yourself again.
Those goals matter.
As we learn about your work, hobbies, recreation, relationships, and the things that make life meaningful to you, we can better understand what successful recovery means for you.
