A minor car accident might not leave you injured, but a major one can. Around 3 million people report injuries from car accidents yearly, and some injuries have long-term effects.
It’s vital to seek help from the necessary health providers if you have personal injuries from a recent collision. Many accident victims visit their primary physicians or ERs afterward, but you might also need a chiropractor.
A chiropractor’s services offer relief from pain, discomfort, and mobility issues, which might be just what you need.
If you’re unsure whether you need a chiropractor’s help, check out the following five signs. These signs commonly indicate that a person could benefit from chiropractic care.
1. Chronic Back or Neck Pain
Back pain is one of the most common problems people complain of after car accidents. Neck pain is next in line. Living with back or neck pain is complex, yet it’s a sign that you need to see a chiropractor.
A chiropractor performs several services that relieve pain. One method they use is spinal decompression, which promotes a healthy spine.
Chiropractors also perform spinal manipulation, which is one method that significantly decreases neck and back pain. However, spinal manipulation offers many other benefits for neck pain.
Many chiropractors also use the McKenzie method in their practice for pain relief. This method utilizes specific movements to alleviate pain.
A chiropractor might have you move in many different ways to see how each movement affects your pain level.
When they find movements that alleviate their pain, they’ll suggest using these movements daily as a form of exercise. Over time, this process leads to pain relief.
Living with a personal injury that causes pain decreases a person’s joy and satisfaction in life. So instead of living with back or neck pain, you might want to visit a chiropractor for help.
2. Joint Discomfort
Next, you might want to look up a “chiropractor near me” if you struggle with joint discomfort or muscle pain. Joint and muscle pain are different from the typical back, and neck pain people experience after car accidents.
Your joints are the body parts you can move, while your muscles help you move them. These body parts work together. They’ll move properly when your joints and muscles work correctly.
However, car accidents can leave people in pain in these areas. If you experience this type of pain, it can be a sign that you should see a chiropractor.
Spinal manipulation can ease these types of pain, but a chiropractor might also suggest massage therapy. Massage therapy targets tightened muscles by working them out. The effect is a loosening of the muscles.
When you focus on working the tightness out of these areas, you will naturally find relief from the pain you’re experiencing. Seeking natural pain-relief techniques is better for your health than relying on pain medications.
3. Limited Mobility
You can experience limited mobility for many reasons. For example, when your back hurts, it might prevent you from moving freely like you once did. Additionally, sore muscles or joints also lead to limited mobility.
If this is a problem you’re experiencing after a car accident, you should seek help from a chiropractor. Limited mobility prevents you from moving well, yet you can fix this problem through chiropractic care.
A chiropractor performs spinal manipulation, reducing the tension in your back and neck muscles by realigning the spine. The result is increased movement.
Chiropractors also promote massage, physical therapy, and other natural techniques. Using these techniques offers an effective way to regain your movement.
However, regaining your mobility requires work. You might have to perform exercises daily to achieve your goals, but your chiropractor will help you learn what to do.
They’ll also measure your movement to determine if you’re making progress.
4. Headaches
Many people experience headaches as an after-effect of a collision. Headaches can stem from neck pain and stiffness and can exist simultaneously with limited mobility.
Headaches after personal injuries often happen from whiplash or a misaligned spine. You might want to talk to your doctor about your chronic headaches and see a chiropractor.
Again, spinal manipulation relieves headache pain when the pain is the result of a decompressed or misaligned spine. Additionally, using neck exercises can relieve this pain.
When you visit a chiropractor for pain relief, tell them about your headaches. They may take x-rays to see your spine, and they might suggest multiple forms of treatment.
5. Numbness
Finally, you should seek a chiropractor if you feel numbness in your body after a car accident. The most common area to feel numbness is in the legs, hands, and feet, but you can also feel numbness in other areas.
Numbness might be caused by a pinched nerve somewhere in your back or a different cause.
If you’re feeling this or other pain and need a DOT physical, you might not pass the physical until you seek help for the numbness and pain.
You can look up “DOT exams near me” to learn more about the requirements. But, it’s vital to realize that if you drive a commercial truck, you must pass a DOT physical to continue driving commercially.
Seek Help From a Chiropractor for These Personal Injuries
Suffering personal injuries after a car accident isn’t uncommon. However, you shouldn’t ignore these signs and hope they go away independently. Instead, you should seek treatment.
Seeking treatment from a chiropractor is the best solution for these health issues after a car accident. Would you like to learn more?
The Spine Center is located in Las Vegas, and we offer chiropractic care. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or learn more about our services.