Car accidents are really and epidemic now.  Cars can drive faster and there are a lot more cars on the road now.  Everyone is in a hurry.  Many people are on their phones.  You hear of many horrific accidents.  But you don’t to have to be in a really bad accident to suffer a lot injury. Even accidents with little damage to your car, can cause a lot of problems.

 In a typical rear-end car accident, the injury occurs when your car is pushed out from underneath you by the impact and then the stopping quickly in a third of second.  When this happens your body is jerked backwards and then suddenly thrown forward. The effects of this “whiplash” movement is that the ligaments of the spine become over stretched and torn (Sprained) in the front and back of the spine.  The movement also causes misalignment of the spine, which is a big problem that occurs in car accidents. The disc can get torn or shifted out of place.  There are little joints in the back of the spine called the Facet joints.  These are about the size of one of your finger joints and have nerve endings.  Injury to the Facet joints are one of the biggest sources of pain.  All these problems then can cause muscle spasms and lead to muscle weakness. This can occur  in any part of the spine not just the neck.  I also see a lot people who injury their arms and legs. You can receive a concussion in car a rear-ender type of accident.

So what are the symptoms of a car accident?  Headaches, dizziness, memory loss, ringing in the ears, blurred vision, neck pain, jaw pain, clicking in the jaw. tingling in the arms or legs, weakness in the arms or legs, mid and lower back pain, sciatica, chest pain, nausea and also injuries of the arms and legs.

Chiropractic is one of the best types of treatment for Whiplash type injuries. In my office I do  20 different techniques. Initially the treatment is focused on reducing swelling and insuring proper movement.  In this phase I use ultrasound, electrical stimulation and laser therapy to boost circulation and speed healing.  I also use joint mobilization to get the joints moving during this time.  In the next phase I start using the Impulse Instrument to make adjustments and begin correcting the spinal misalignments. Adjustments are key, because the rapid movement of the accident causes the joints misalign, damage the joint capsules and disrupt the normal firing of the nerves of the spine. The body is like an incredible computer network connecting many receptors and small computers in your body to the big computer… the brain.  Accidents ruin the programing of all the nerves and joints the body that has been developing during your entire life.  The adjustment helps correct by using a rapid force to the reset the position of the vertebrae and the programing of the nerves. That is why chiropractic works so well.  It also helps to prevent degeneration and minimize scar tissue. At a certain point exercise is also important to help re-train the body from the inside out.

If not taken care properly Whiplash injuries can lead to increased spinal degeneration and arthritis in the future. If you or anyone you has suffered a car accident injury, give me a call I like helping people get better.