Are you thinking of seeing a chiropractor for neck pain after a car accident in Louisville, Colorado? You probably have many questions about what to expect from this experience if you’ve never worked with a chiropractor before. Of course, you may have some apprehensions about trying a new form of care for the first time when the stakes can feel so high due to the fact that you’re in such serious pain.

It can be difficult to know where to turn for treatment after a car accident. While physicians may be helpful for treating acute and immediate injuries like broken bones, lacerations, or concussions, many people feel that they are very much “on their own” once emergency care has ended. If you walked away from an accident without sustaining any visible injuries, you may have skipped any sort of medical treatment or evaluation entirely.

Chiropractor louisville

Unfortunately, it’s common for pain, aches, soreness, strain, and mobility restrictions to pop up anywhere from a few hours to a few months after an accident. The most common source of pain following a car accident is neck pain. Studies have found that chiropractic care for patients with neck pain is associated with significant improvements in a number of health-related quality-of-life measures. In addition, researchers have identified that chiropractic care improves cervical range of motion (cROM) and pain in the management of Whiplash-Associated Disorders (WAD). Don’t hesitate for another moment before seeking help from an office specializing in auto injury chiropractic care in Boulder.

Seeing a chiropractor at any point following an accident can be a great way to heal neck injuries that were caused by the impact and force of an auto accident. What nobody ever tells people after they are involved in accidents is that no part of the body is “in the clear” as far as painful chronic symptoms go. While your neck may be experiencing the brunt of your symptoms, it’s very possible that several sources of dysfunction are working together to cause your pain.

Some of the common long-term injuries experienced following accidents include:

  • Whiplash
  • Back pain
  • Neck pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Sprains
  • Strains

The entire musculoskeletal system can be impacted by a car accident. The spine is especially vulnerable because the rapid movement that happens during a collision can often cause spinal misalignment. Whiplash is incredibly common. The “jolt” that occurs during an accident can cause extreme pain that affects the muscles, discs, nerves, and tendons surrounding the neck. Of course, the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that connect the neck to the rest of the musculoskeletal system can act like “highways of dysfunction” that throw the entire body off balance.

What Are the Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor in Louisville, Colorado for Neck Pain Following an Accident?

There are many benefits to seeing a chiropractor after an auto accident. For many people, working with a chiropractor is the only way to experience noticeable results. Many people who have their pain dismissed following an accident find that a chiropractor is the only medical professional willing to take their claims seriously. This can be essential for finally getting relief from chronic, life-altering pain. It can also be important for documenting injuries that were caused by an auto accident that was someone else’s fault. Next, take a look at the core benefits of being seen by a chiropractor following a car accident.

Relief From Neck Pain

You can feel like you’re living a life that’s not your own following a car accident if you’re left with neck pain. Issues like a spinal misalignment, impinged nerves, tense muscles, and strains can all make it impossible to return to your normal life. Correcting misalignments, muscle tightness, and other forms of dysfunction that are creating tension and pain in the body can be pivotal for getting relief. Chiropractic treatments can also help to release natural pain-relieving hormones like oxytocin and neurotensin.

louisville chiropractorImproved Flexibility and Range of Motion

Have you lost your ability to comfortably or effectively perform everyday tasks ever since your car accident? It’s very common to experience stiffness in the neck, back, shoulders, hips, and legs following a car accident. This is often caused by invisible issues like misalignments or scar tissue. You may also feel inflammation that accompanies your stiffness.

Chiropractors can often improve your range of motion and flexibility in a very noninvasive fashion by mobilizing and realigning the spine. Research actually shows that spinal manipulative therapy improves spinal range of motion. Using personalized treatments that target the specific areas of your body where misalignments or scar tissue may have developed, a chiropractor helps to restore blood and oxygen flow to trigger your body’s natural healing mechanisms for cellular regeneration.

Surgery-Free, Drug-Free Treatment Without Side Effects

It can be overwhelming to hear that surgery is your only option for getting your life back to normal. Unfortunately, many medical professionals are quick to recommend surgery because it’s the only treatment option that they provide. It’s understandable to be apprehensive about surgery. There is the possibility that you will actually struggle with increased pain and dysfunction if surgery results in complications. There are also factors like cost, recovery time, and the possibility that the true root cause of pain isn’t addressed with the scalpel.

It’s also possible that surgery is unnecessary. Many people who are told that they need surgery for issues like chronic neck pain are able to resolve the pain using chiropractic adjustments. The well-documented problem of doctors recommending thousands of unnecessary surgical interventions each year is something that researchers and public health advocates have been blowing the whistle on for decades. When an option like chiropractic care is used instead, patients are able to avoid the intense experience of surgery while also getting a treatment that focuses on restoring bodily harmony for natural healing. Chiropractors focus on correcting the underlying dysfunction in relation to the surrounding tissue instead of merely focusing on surgical intervention at the site of the pain or dysfunction.

While not everyone dealing with chronic pain caused by an auto accident will receive a recommendation for surgery, most will be offered prescription pain medication at some point. Doctors can be eager to give out opioid prescriptions to people suffering from pain following car accidents without taking into consideration the dangers of opioid addiction. The reality of using pain medications to cope with pain following a car accident is that these medications do nothing to treat the underlying causes of pain. While they may provide temporary relief, your ability to function without pain can easily become dependent upon your ability to access pain medications. You may even allow an injury to evolve into a state of chronic, irreversible dysfunction by continuing to put pressure and strain on the area without addressing the underlying cause. Chiropractic care does often provide pain relief. However, the relief is caused by an actual reversal of tension and pressure instead of a masking effect.

Stability for the Entire Body

It’s easy to get caught up in focusing on “just the injury” when you have pain from an auto accident. Chiropractors understand that it’s also important to focus on the tissue around the injury because of the way the body will compensate when there is pain or dysfunction. This is why chiropractors often focus on stabilization techniques and exercises that ensure that the muscles, ligaments, and tendons around a point of injury are strong enough to support any weakened or damaged tissue. In addition to making recovery time faster, this approach can help to prevent future injuries.

How Do Chiropractors Treat Neck Injuries After Car Accidents?

It may be obvious to you that seeing a chiropractor is your best option for getting significant relief. However, you may be wondering what to expect in terms of treatment when you show up for your first visit to treat neck pain with help from a chiropractor. The truth is that there are many different techniques for treating neck pain and whiplash following a car accident. Chiropractors can make recommendations based on the source and characteristics of your pain.

The first step is always an evaluation. This often includes a chat with you, a conversation about your medical history, a look at the specifics of your auto accident, and a physical evaluation. If necessary, some imaging work may be recommended. It’s then time to collaborate to create a treatment plan designed to target the source of your neck pain.

Here’s a look at some techniques that are commonly incorporated into treatments for neck pain:

  • Flexion-Distraction Technique: This gentle technique uses manual spinal manipulation.
  • Instrument-Assisted Manipulation: Chiropractors use handheld instruments to apply force.
  • Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Therapy: Used to detect and treat muscle tension.
  • Manual Joint Stretching and Resistance Therapies: Tailored techniques to relieve tension and knots.
  • Therapeutic Massage: A relaxing approach to relieving knots and tension while restoring blood flow to restricted areas.
  • Trigger Point Therapy and Muscle Release: This innovative technique releases tight, painful muscle knots.

These treatments represent just a fraction of the treatments offered by us here at Louisville Medical Center. As a full-service wellness practice, we are also able to provide a wide variety of services that can include injections, taping, pain management, medication management, and much more. This can help you to pursue every avenue possible for getting relief from neck pain as quickly as possible.

The critical step when determining the proper course of treatment is to evaluate a patient for typical neck pain versus whiplash. It’s also important for patients to remember that neck pain may actually originate from a misalignment somewhere in the spine that is causing inflammation that is sending pain signals to the neck. The office isn’t the only place to work on neck pain. In most cases, patients are given guidance on how to perform exercises at home, adjust their posture, and take steps to relieve the pressure that’s contributing to neck pain during the healing process.

Chiropractor louisvilleBook Your Appointment to Treat Neck Pain in Louisville, Colorado

Neck pain following an accident should never be ignored. While neck pain is the most common side effect of an auto accident, it’s important to remember that pain should never be “shrugged off” as something normal. Our team is here to help you identify the source of your neck pain. In addition to helping you develop a treatment plan for treating your pain, we can also assist with documentation of necessary treatments for pain relief and restored function for accident claims. Book your appointment with the Louisville Medical Center chiropractic team today by calling (303) 666-7717, or scheduling online.