Chiropractic care after being involved in an auto accident can provide great relief. Car wrecks can be traumatic events, both physically and emotionally. Some individuals require life saving, medical care, while others walk away without even a scratch. For most individuals involved in an auto accident, stiffness, soreness, and other soft tissue injuries are common. What type of injuries can chiropractic care help with after an auto accident? Here are a few reasons to consider chiropractic care following a traumatic car accident injury (even if you walked away “without a scratch”).

A Minor Auto Accident Can Still Create Injuries

Most people assume that in order to be injured, there must be pain. This, however, is not true. Some trauma is minor enough that pain does not accompany the injured person, though the absence of pain rarely indicates that there is no injury present. Furthermore, many times the pain that accompanies injuries has a delayed onset, and may not be felt for a few days, or even weeks before someone begins to experience symptoms after an accident.

In some situations, certain pain patterns are overlooked because one area of pain seems more important than another. For example, some patients that have presented to our office only describe neck pain on the initial intake forms, but when asked if anything else has been affected since the accident, they proceed to describe low back pain, radiating symptoms down the leg similar to sciatica, muscle tightness, and poor sleep as well. The combination of all of these symptoms create a more complete picture of how the patient was affected from the accident, even if they may appear minor to the individual being examined.

Imaging is Required to Identify Fractures from the Car Accident

A few patients that have presented to the office over the years have reported minimal pain, yet when x-rays were taken after the accident we were able to identify fractures in bones that did not appear to create very much pain. Usually fractures elicit a pain response, but this is not always the case. Additionally, certain types of x-rays, and soft tissue imaging, such as MRIs, can help identify ligament, tendon, and disc issues that may be hiding under the radar due to the absence of pain. Unfortunately, not all soft tissue injuries can be identified with x-ray or MRI tests. The most common of these soft tissue injuries is concussion.

Chiropractic Care can Help and is Noninvasive

Chiropractic care after a car accident is a safe, noninvasive approach to auto accident injuries. Therapeutic approaches such as joint manipulation, stretches, rehabilitation exercises, TENs therapy, acupuncture, massage, trigger point therapy, cupping, and dry needling are incorporated in our treatment plans. These therapies help reduce pain, when present, and restore optimal soft tissue function. Each patient is evaluated for their individual needs, and then a specific care program is generated for their unique injury needs. Chiropractic services are even safe enough for children.

Chiropractic Care is Covered by Insurance

After an auto accident, some individuals postpone, or even avoid medical care due to the fear of the possible costs. The good news is chiropractic services are covered though all auto insurance policies, with the rare exception when you specifically ask to wave personal injury coverage. This means, that if someone else was at fault for your injuries, their insurance will cover your medical bills. If you were the at fault person in the accident, your personal injury protection (required by law to be included with all insurance policies, unless you sign a waiver to have it removed) will also cover the cost of treatment.

At Synergy Chiropractic of Houston, we want to help you receive the care you need following an auto accident. For many people, the aches and pains that result from a car wreck can be helped through chiropractic care. Let our office help you. Contact us today for an evaluation if you have been involved in an auto accident, and experience pain relief!