Q: I was in a pretty mild rear-end collision a few weeks ago. I had some stiffness and pain for a few days that was very mild. I have never had this problem before so I knew it was from the crash but it had gone away for the most part. I am now noticing that same type of pain in the same areas. Do you think it could be from that crash still?
A: Pain or discomfort from a whiplash injury in a car accident sometimes won’t show up at all for weeks, months or longer after the accident. That’s one reason why it’s advisable to visit a chiropractor any time you’re involved in a car accident. Whiplash, the tear or strain of muscles and ligaments supporting the spine as the result of sudden movement of the head, can manifest itself in many ways
Symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, pain between the shoulder blades, headaches blurred vision, and numbness and tingling just to name a few. The pain and stiffness is from the process of your body healing the torn soft tissues and that swelling often takes time to accumulate enough to create the pain you are concerned with. It is not uncommon for it to be ok for a little while but now that it is injured, the tissue gets easily reaggrevated by otherwise normal daily activities that would not have bothered you before.
A chiropractor can handle nearly all of the problems that are associated with these injuries. They may perform spinal adjustments can help restore joint motion lost as a result of the accident or therapies to loosen up stiff muscles, improve coordination, and eliminate headaches, dizziness or ringing in the ears brought on by the accident. Moreover, I have found that a chiropractor has more detailed knowledge of the mechanics associated with this type of injury than some other providers and is therefore able to create better documentation and be more of an asset to explain to your healthcare payers (many times an insurance company) as to why and how this has occurred.
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