Car accidents and related accidents can cause significant trauma to your body, even if they happen at a low speed.
Dr. Jaffer Barlas at Barlas Chiropractic near South Lake Union will provide a thorough examination and will begin treatment the day of your exam. The sooner you begin receiving treatment following a car accident, the faster you are likely to recover, so it is best to prioritize receiving care as soon as possible if you have been in one. People who do not receive treatment following an accident often suffer from further complications later in life, such as immobility and arthritis, so please do yourself a favor and get treated!
Injuries to many areas of the body are unfortunately common following an accident.
People are often surprised by the need to receive treatment to areas such as wrists, hips, or ankles. However, one of the more common conditions caused by a motor vehicle accident is called whiplash. “Whiplash” refers to trauma to your neck caused by the whipping motion that happens when your head accelerates forward quickly and then immediately jerks backwards upon heavy braking or impact. It does not necessarily take a lot of neck movement to cause injury during a motor vehicle accident. Even minor accidents can cause injury to ligaments, muscles, and joints causing pain, headaches, and reduced mobility.
Low back injuries can also be sustained during motor vehicle accidents as well.
The speed of impact can cause a shift in the spine and trauma to paraspinal muscles extending the length of the spine. Like in other areas of the spine, this can cause muscle guarding, joint restriction, and scar tissue formation. Treatment will be on reducing pain and inflammation and restoring mobility so that scar tissue does not form and restrict movement long-term and cause further complications.
Chiropractic adjustment, Active Release Technique and instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy, as well as simple muscle strengthening can dramatically reduce pain and restore lost mobility. We will repeat one more time- making sure to get whiplash treated soon after trauma occurs will greatly reduce your chance of having long-term symptoms such as restricted movement and pain due to osteoarthritis of the cervical (neck) joints and fibrosis to damaged soft tissues.
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