If you’ve been in a car accident, you may have been treated by medical experts at the scene. You may also have made an appointment with your primary care doctor. But did you think about visiting a chiropractor? Unfortunately, many people don’t. When they think about an accident injury doctor, they think about their general practitioner. However, while they’re certainly good at what they do, they don’t specialize in damage to the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors do. If you’ve been in a car accident, here are some of the ways you can benefit by seeing a chiropractor right away.
They Understand “Invisible” Injuries
Many people who are in car accidents experience whiplash. However, while it’s certainly a real issue and can be dangerous, it’s also hard for many general doctors to diagnose. It’s what many refer to as an invisible injury because symptoms don’t always show up right away. Car accident injury chiropractors understand how to identify whiplash and treat it before symptoms start to appear, sparing you a lot of pain and recovery time.
They Can Treat Your Pain Without Medication
Chiropractors understand how to relieve pain using techniques that do not involve medication. Some strong painkillers are very addictive, so avoiding using those is always a good idea. In addition to avoiding addiction, these painkillers also often only mask the pain. They don’t do anything to actually address the cause of that pain. Chiropractors do. They will address the injury itself rather than its symptoms.
Their Treatment is Non-Invasive
Chiropractic treatment doesn’t involve any surgery or other invasive procedures. This means there’s no recovery time or other issues to deal with.
They Can Reduce the Amount of Scar Tissue
Scar tissue often builds up on the muscles after car accidents. This tissue makes it difficult for the muscles to move as smoothly and can even limit your range of motion. Chiropractors understand how to treat damage to reduce the amount of scar tissue. They do this by actually breaking up the scar tissue rather than allowing it to heal naturally. This reduces the size and the amount of scarring, so your body heals more quickly and doesn’t have any lingering pain or stiffness.
There’s Less Inflammation
Car accident injuries are often invisible to common diagnostic tools such as X-rays. Small tears in the muscles and ligaments don’t show up, but they certainly cause pain and other issues. One of the first things a chiropractor will do is check to see if your spinal column is misaligned. If it is, they will use spinal manipulation techniques to realign it. This helps the body release anti-inflammatory chemicals that reduce inflammation and the amount of pain you’re experiencing.
Your Range of Motion Won’t Be Restricted
Another issue that inflammation and scar tissue can cause is a reduction to your range of motion. Inflammation actually makes injuries heal slower because the inflamed areas make it difficult for nutrients to reach the damage. When the chiropractor realigns your spine and those anti-inflammatory chemicals are released, it allows blood to reach the injured areas more quickly. That combined with how chiropractors reduce scar tissue means that you will more quickly have your full range of motion back.
Long-Term Benefits
In addition to all of these benefits, working with a chiropractor after a car accident also has long-term benefits. For example, they can treat minor injuries that other doctors may not notice or believe are worth treating. These small injuries, though, can become major problems if they aren’t treated. Chiropractors look at the long-term damage and can help reduce future pain and stop chronic conditions from developing.
Pro-Care Is Here to Help
If you’ve been in a car accident and want to see a chiropractor, we’re here to help. The chiropractic experts at Pro-Car Medical Centers have years of experience helping patients live pain-free lives. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
