ABOUT CAR ACCIDENTS
A car accident places you in a very difficult situation. You have to take your car to the mechanic, talk with your insurance agent, potentially missing work; all this stress can be overwhelming and you may forget that you have been injured.
While you are in a hurry to get your life back to normal, make sure to see your chiropractor before you make any major decisions. It often takes several days to feel the aches and pains from an accident. It is called “delayed symptoms onset”. After the initial shock is over, there might only be some minor soreness or you may feel nothing at all. Depending on how serious the accident was. Patients are usually saying after a car accident, “I thought the pain would go away but now I am in pain.”
There could be a number of injuries that a mild stiff neck or back is masking. A car accident is a major event and the trauma that it causes could be significant with far-fetching consequences. Your car does not have to be demolished or flip over for you to sustain an injury. It has been shown by researchers like; Kormhauser M. Delta-V thresholds for cervical spine injury.
1996: SEA 960093. Ono K, Kaneoka K, Wittek A, Kajzer J. Cervical injury mechanism based on the analysis of human cervical vertebral motion and head neck torso kinematics during low-speed rear impacts., Spine Institute of San Diego and others that many auto accidents at low speeds can still cause significant injuries. You need to let a doctor trained in diagnosing and treating auto accident injuries to determine the extent of damage you have sustained.
Do not gamble with your health, do not wait. After all, finding out right away that there is nothing wrong is much better than finding out later that there is definitely something wrong. Call for an appointment today. Kent: (253) 520-7531 and Everett: (425) 322-5307.
WHAT IS WHIPLASH?
Whiplash is the common term for Injuries sustained during a Car Accident. This refers to damage done during abrupt deceleration to the muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs, nerves, nerve roots, and vertebrae of the neck as the result of sudden hyperextension and hyper-flexion of the neck.
Whiplash is a very common condition and is most often associated with car accidents, but can be caused by a variety of different activities such as contact sports, amusement park rides, blow tho the head, and more.
What are the Symptoms?
- A loss or reduction inability to move the neck or lower back.
- Pain; deep and dull with sharp and stabbing spells with motion.
- Neck stiffness and back stiffness.
- Neck injury most commonly will cause headaches.
- Eyes pain from bright light.
- Pain in arms and hands.
- Tingling or numbness in arms and hands.
- Muscle spasm and tension.
- Nightmare about accident or fear of driving.
- Inability to fall asleep or stay asleep.
- Depression.
- Dizziness and/or vertigo.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Forgetfulness.
- Fatigue.
- Blurred or altered vision.
- Ringing in ears.
- Abdominal pain.
- Pain between shoulder blades.
Symptoms may appear immediately after the whiplash injury or there may be a delayed onset of symptoms. This is because the onset of inflammation may take several weeks or even longer. Patients that do not receive professional treatment, massage is not a treatment for whiplash injury, will start feeling pain 3 to 5 years after the accident. This is because during whiplash your soft tissue inside your body sustains micro-tears (like small cuts from paper or knife). These micro-tears cause scar tissue formation in your joints, discs, muscles, etc. If these scars form in moving parts they will cause friction, inflammation, pain, and accelerated wear and tear of these joints.
What Should I Do if I Have Whiplash or Any Other Injury?
If you’ve experienced whiplash or any other injury, either recently or several months, or even years ago, the most important thing to do is to be examined and diagnosed by a specialist healthcare provider experienced in whiplash injuries. Dr. Borisenko is certified by the Spine Research Institute of San Diego and Dr. Kroft in car accident traumatology and reconstruction. The Pettibon System TM treatment that we proud to practice at our clinic effectively prevents scar tissue formation, resolves existing scars, restores damaged discs, joints, ligaments, tendons, and trains core muscles for long lasting results. Research studies have explicitly shown that chiropractic care is a very effective treatment for whiplash injuries preventing the patient’s symptoms from becoming chronic thus minimizing disability.