Without proper treatment, car accident injuries, like whiplash, can cause serious pain for years to come. In addition to suffering from neck pain, many car accident victims also experience lower back pain, headaches, and general poor health. Chiropractic care is essential to treating the underlying cause for this pain and helping patients live a more active, pain-free life. Most importantly, chiropractic care is a safe and effective alternative to pain medication.
How Chiropractic Care Treats Whiplash Pain
Wondering how chiropractic care can help manage your pain after an auto accident injury? Below, our chiropractor Dr. Raveling answers three of your most frequently asked questions about chiropractic care and auto accident injury pain management.
#1: What causes whiplash pain?
Whiplash pain is caused when the force of a rear-impact auto accident abruptly whips the cervical spine, knocking the neck out of alignment. This spinal misalignment compresses nearby nerves, triggering pain. Our chiropractor treats whiplash injuries with gentle, hands-on adjustments. These precise adjustments restore proper alignment to the cervical spine and relieve pressure on the nerves, which provides long-lasting relief.
#2: Why am I experiencing back pain after a car accident?
Back pain is one of the most common types of pain following a car accident injury. Many accident victims suffer a herniated or slipped disc in the lumbar spine, which can trigger recurring pain. For example, if a herniated disc compresses the sciatic nerve, accident victims will experience a radiating or numbing pain sensation in the lower back, buttocks and legs. Just like with a whiplash injury, as long as nerve compression persists, so too will a patient’s pain. Chiropractic adjustments are effective for restoring alignment and relieving nerve compression.
#3: Why is treatment important after a car accident?
Our chiropractor recommends a prompt diagnostic evaluation following a car accident injury. This evaluation will determine whether you have sustained any spinal injuries. The earlier our chiropractor can diagnose an injury, the more our chiropractor is able to do to prevent chronic pain.
Have you ever experienced whiplash before?