If you’re looking for a caring and knowledgeable back pain chiropractor, call our Mount Prospect Health Center team at 973-485-2332.
If you recently experienced a car accident, you may have sustained a back injury during the event. Spinal cord and whiplash injuries are two common injuries that victims suffer from after an auto accident. Thus, seeing a back and spine specialist increases your chances of a quick recovery after a wreck.
If you have begun the search for non-invasive treatment options after a car accident, contact a back pain chiropractor. Chiropractors specialize in spinal manipulation therapy, which is when they use their hands to thrust spinal vertebra bones into the correct position.
Keep reading to find out more about the most common back injuries after an accident and how a chiropractor for back pain can help.
3 Common Spinal Injuries After Auto Accidents
Several spinal injuries can occur due to a car accident, such as fractures, bulged discs, herniated discs, and spondylolisthesis. Here are three other common back injuries due to a car accident and how a chiropractor in Newark, NJ, can help.
1. Whiplash
Rush University Medical Center states that over 2 million Americans experience whiplash injuries every year. Though not all whiplash cases occur during a car crash, even an accident that happens at a speed between 5 and 10 mph can lead to this injury. Symptoms of whiplash may not manifest immediately and include confusion, headaches, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping or swallowing.
Leaving whiplash untreated for too long can cause more problems. Since the muscles in your neck, back, and shoulders may atrophy due to rest, leaving whiplash untreated can lead to chronic pain.
2. Lumbar
In a study published in the National Library of Medicine, the researchers found that the lumbar region was the most frequently affected by car accident injuries. It accounts for nearly 65% of back injuries. The lumbar region is a part of the lower back that functions as a stabilizer to the upper body, permits the range of movement of the torso, and controls leg movements.
This region is essential to how the back functions and endures significant pressure and stress due to its movement and sustained weight. Thus, injury to the lumbar region can cause significant pain.
3. Facet Joints
Facet joints are part of the spine that connect vertebral bones. These joints help the lumbar region’s range of motion, allowing extension and rotation of the spine. During a car accident, these joints may become inflamed, strained, or overexerted (which forces the joint out of the correct position).
Why You Should See a Chiropractor for Back Pain After an Auto Accident
According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), chiropractors must go through a rigorous education and training process to obtain their certification. Before obtaining their credentials, chiropractors must finish their degrees from a nationally accredited doctoral graduate school. This educational program includes 4,200 hours of work in the lab, internships, and the classroom.
Around 77% of patients thought chiropractic care to be highly effective in treating back pain. Patients are so satisfied with chiropractic care that a consumer survey rated it over all other treatments for back pain, including prescription and over-the-counter medication, yoga, and massage.
Furthermore, sometimes back pain does not manifest until days or weeks after an accident (particularly if the doctor has prescribed you pain medication). If you would like to file an insurance claim to cover your chiropractic care after your accident, time is of the essence. Seeing a chiropractor within the first three days after an accident greatly increases your chance of partial or full coverage.
Benefits of Rehabilitation by a Chiropractor for Neck Pain
The treatment methods that back pain chiropractors use include spinal manipulation and other treatments for relief from pain, such as relaxation, hot and cold treatments, and more. One of the primary benefits of investing in chiropractic treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation without the use of medication.
According to WebMD, chiropractors primarily treat lower back pain, headaches, and neck pain. Treatment from a chiropractor after a car accident can strengthen the muscles in your back, decrease pain and inflammation, reduce muscle spasms, and increase flexibility.
Newark, NJ’s Premier Chiropractic Clinic for Treatment After an Auto Accident
If you need a back pain chiropractor to help you recover after a car accident in Newark, NJ, contact our team of medical professionals at Mount Prospect Health Center. Our clinic specializes in treating car accidents and work-related injuries, so we can prescribe you an effective recovery plan and provide advice about how to seek out insurance coverage after your injury.
Our doctors accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (Personal Injury Protection). If you’d like to learn more about the chiropractor techniques at Mount Prospect Health Center in Newark, NJ, call us at 973-485-2332 today. Same-day appointments may be available.
FAQs About “Chiropractor After a Car Accident”
How Long Does It Take for a Chiropractor to Fix Back Pain?
Depending on the severity of your car accident and the injuries that you sustained, pain relief can take anywhere from one to four weeks after starting chiropractic care. Luckily, most patients also report feeling less pain after the first visit following an accident.
Why Don’t Chiropractic Adjustments Last?
A chiropractor for neck pain can only do so much when it comes to treating your condition. Chiropractors specialize in readjusting the spinal vertebra bones, not releasing tension in the back muscles. Though your treatments should greatly reduce pain and help realign your back over time, tight muscles can cause your problems to persist.
Is Chiropractic Safe for Whiplash?
Visiting a back pain chiropractor after a car accident can significantly improve your condition if you have sustained whiplash. Chiropractors can not only provide spinal manipulation therapy to re-align your back, but they can also include soft tissue therapy in your recovery plan to help you regain muscle and strengthen the injured area.
