Vehicle and driving safety are extremely important while operating any kind of car or truck, and this is largely due to the results when accidents take place. Even accidents that appear relatively minor can cause significant stress to joints, ligaments and tendons in the body, and more serious accidents pose the risk of death and long-term pain.
At Peterson Chiropractic, auto accident recovery is among our top services performed regularly for clients. Our chiropractic care includes several areas specifically meant to help assess the injuries from a vehicle accident, most commonly whiplash, then to go to work re-balancing and helping your body recover. In some cases, our patients are those who did not even realize they had an injury related to their recent auto accident until later on – this is often due to the adrenaline that kicks in at the time. Let’s go over some common vehicle accident injuries we often see, how adrenaline plays a role in hiding these in some circumstances, and how we can help once you’ve identified them.
Common Vehicle Accident Injuries
There are several common injuries or complaints we receive after a vehicle accident:
- Whiplash: One of the most common injuries associated with car accidents is whiplash, which involves the severe jerking of the head forward or backward from the body. Some people experience significant pain from whiplash, while others are only affected in minor ways.
- Headaches: In some cases, the first symptom to show up after a vehicle accident will be a headache. This is generally due to strong impact that’s jolted the skull.
- Back or neck pain: Often related to whiplash, but sometimes not, you may also experience back or neck pain after a car accident. Again, this pain level will vary from person to person and from accident to accident.
When Adrenaline Kicks In
In many situations, however, those who have been in a vehicle accident don’t realize they have the above injuries until far later. This is due to adrenaline, a natural bodily compound that kicks into high gear when the body goes into fight-or-flight mode, such as in a potentially life-threatening situation like a car accident. Adrenaline can do amazing things, including masking pretty significant pain for several hours or even most of a day.
This means that in some cases, it takes a while to fully understand the extent of injuries. After an accident, even if you don’t feel any specific pain, we recommend waiting at least 24 hours to fully assess things.
Post-Accident Chiropractic Goals
If you do end up with pain symptoms following an accident, whether for whiplash or any other cause, we have several remedies to assist you. Our primary goal will be to re-balance and align the spine, which affects numerous soft tissue areas throughout the body. This alignment will help to limit inflammation of joints, muscles and ligaments, all of which may be increased after a vehicle accident. We’ll work with you to help restore range of motion and limit any pain you’re dealing with, all through simple, natural chiropractic methods.
For more on the role of adrenaline in recognizing vehicle accident symptoms, or to learn about any of our chiropractic services or auto injury recovery services, speak to the staff at Peterson Chiropractic today.