Auto Injuries
Have you been involved in an auto accident, sustained a whiplash and found yourself in pain?
After the Accident
So you've been in an accident. You've already called your insurance company and they have recommented a place for you to take your car for an estimate of damage. An appointment has been made, and you will take your car there tomorrow. The car is only dented and is certainly still driveable, but the insurance company knows it can save money if the problem is handled immediately.
But what about you? You may be only a little banged up from the accident, but are you sure nothing more than a few bruises is the result? Some injuries take hours or days to appear, and by then scar tissue, stiffness, or other symptoms of injury may have occurred. Do you not deserve the same timely treatment that your car does? Have you made an appointment with your Doctor of Chiropractic to get an estimate of your personal damage?
Types of Injury Possible
Knowing the types of inuries that commonly occur in traffic accidents may help you recongnize the severity of your condition. The speed at which you were traveling when the accident occured, can be a hint to your possible injuries. If you were traveling below 10 mph, it is possible that you will sustain bruises from the seat belt, muscle strain, or other serious injury. These are the results of your body's movement during and immediately following the collision, and you may not be aware of the injury until 12 to 36 hours later. At this time, pain stiffness, or other symptions may become noticeable. Crashes that occur at speeds greater than 10 mph may be more critical, as they often involve both rapid body movement and impact with items in the car like the steering wheel, dashboard, or a window. Potential injuries include shoulder, head, or knee hematomas; wrist fractures; neck sprains; concussion; and an assortment of contusions. The victims of these accidents usually know immediately that they are injured, unless they are in shock.
Perhaps the most common of all auto accident injuries - at least the most well-known - is the cervical acceleration/decleration injury, or "whiplash". Whiplash happens when a car or person is hit suddenly (as in a rear end collision) causing the head to whip backward, forward as it recoils, and back again before resting in a neutral position. This violet motion often causes muscles, ligaments, entdons, and joints to stretch beyond normal limits, sometimes even tearing.
Before you take your car
in for damages,
do the same
for yourself - see your
Doctor of Chiropractic
How Your Chiropractor Can Help
See a Doctor of Chiropractor as soon after the accident as possible. The doctor will be ab le to establish the extent of your injuries and can immediately begin a treatment program that will speed your recovery.
At the doctor's office you will be asked to describe exactly what happened at the accident. Helpful information from you will include where in the car you were sitting, the speed at which you were traveling, where your car was hit (from behind, head on, etc.), whether you were wearing a lap and /or shoulder belt, whether you were able to brace yourself before the collision, or if you hit anthing inside the car. If the Doctor of Chiropractic does not already have your complete medical history, you will be asked to provide that as well.
Dr. Victoria Malchar at Malchar Chiropratic and Wellness Center is certified with advanced training in whiplash and brain injury traumatology with the Spine Rearch Institute of San Diego.
Whiplash and Brain Injury Traumatology: Graduates of this program have received the most in-depth, science-based training available today. The program covers the entire spectrum from the physics of motor vehicle crashes to human biomechanics to diagnostics and management.
Your recovery will be a joint effort between you and your Doctor of Chiropractic. What you can do at home can be summarized in an easy to remember acronym:
RICE:
R = | Rest |
I= | Ice |
C= | Compression |
E= | Elevation |
"Helping you maintain your spinal health in a fast-paced society"