Common Injuries After a Car Accident

Even low-speed crashes can lead to injuries, especially when your body experiences a sudden stop, twist, or jolt. Some of the most common conditions we see at Everett Spine & Rehab include:

1. Whiplash: Often caused by rear-end collisions, whiplash affects the neck muscles, joints, and ligaments. You may not feel it right away — pain can build over hours or even days. Mayo Clinic explains whiplash symptoms and treatment.
2. Lower back pain: Compression from seatbelts or poor spinal alignment during impact can lead to disc irritation, muscle strain, or sciatic nerve issues.
3. Shoulder injuries: Bracing for impact or gripping the wheel tightly can strain rotator cuff muscles or irritate joints.
4. Headaches and dizziness: These may indicate neck tension, post-concussion symptoms, or nervous system involvement. The NIH outlines how musculoskeletal and neurological injuries may emerge after trauma.
5. Soft tissue strain: Even without broken bones, your muscles and fascia may still require care and rehabilitation.

Why Symptoms Can Be Delayed

After an accident, adrenaline can mask pain. That’s why symptoms like headaches, stiffness, and back pain may take hours or even days to appear. As the CDC explains, early evaluation helps prevent small injuries from becoming chronic issues — especially when joints and soft tissues are involved.

Physical therapy focuses on helping your body regain movement, reduce pain, and restore functional strength. The American Physical Therapy Association explains that PT may support recovery by improving mobility, reducing inflammation, and preventing long-term complications.

At Everett Spine & Rehab, our PT plans are designed around your individual injuries and goals. We may use:

1. Stretching and manual therapy to reduce tension and improve flexibility
2. Stabilizing exercises to restore safe movement
3. Postural retraining to help you recover without creating new strain
4. Dry needling or massage therapy for persistent soft tissue pain
5. Progress tracking and education so you can safely return to driving, work, or recreation

In some cases, dry needling may also be included in your recovery plan. This technique involves placing very thin needles into tight or sensitive muscle areas (known as trigger points) to help reduce tension, improve blood flow, and restore normal movement patterns. After a car accident, many patients develop guarded or overactive muscles — especially in the neck, shoulders, or lower back. Dry needling may help release these tight areas so that physical therapy exercises are more effective and comfortable.

Summer is full of distractions — but if you’re feeling post-accident pain, it’s important not to wait. The National Safety Council notes that many accident-related injuries go untreated or underreported, especially during the summer.

Whether you’re experiencing neck tension, shoulder pain, or persistent headaches, early intervention may make your recovery smoother and more complete.

Closing Thought

Summer should be about movement — not managing lingering discomfort from a car accident. If you’ve been injured in Everett, Mukilteo, Mill Creek, or surrounding areas, our team is here to help. With licensed physical therapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors working together, we support your recovery every step of the way.

Why Do Muscle Sprains Happen at Work?

Muscle sprains are a prevalent workplace injury, often stemming from various occupational hazards. Repetitive motions, such as typing on a keyboard or operating machinery, can strain muscles over time, leading to sprains and discomfort. Moreover, jobs that entail heavy lifting, such as in construction or warehouse work, pose a significant risk of sprains, particularly in the back, shoulders, and legs. Employees who repeatedly lift heavy objects without proper training or equipment are prone to strains and sprains due to the excessive stress placed on their muscles.

Poor ergonomics also contribute to workplace-related muscle sprains. Improper workstation setups, including poorly adjusted chairs, desks at incorrect heights, or inadequate support for wrists and arms, can lead to musculoskeletal issues over time. Prolonged sitting or standing in awkward positions without sufficient breaks can exacerbate these problems, causing strains in the neck, back, and wrists.

Sudden movements or accidents in the workplace can also result in muscle sprains. Slip-and-fall accidents, trips over objects, or unexpected collisions can cause individuals to twist or overextend their muscles, leading to sprains in various areas of the body. For instance, sudden jerks or falls can strain the neck, shoulders, or legs, causing acute pain and limited mobility. Implementing proper safety protocols, providing adequate training, and maintaining a clean and organized work environment can help reduce the likelihood of such accidents and subsequent muscle sprains in the workplace.

What Can Employees Do to Prevent Muscle Sprains and Injuries?

Employees can take proactive steps to improve ergonomics and reduce the risk of muscle strain in the workplace:

1. Communicate with Employers: Advocate for ergonomic improvements in the workplace by communicating concerns and suggesting solutions to employers or supervisors. Participate in ergonomic assessments and provide feedback to help tailor ergonomic solutions to individual needs.
   
2. Adjust Workstation Setup: Arrange chairs, desks, and computer equipment to ensure proper alignment. Adjust chair height so feet are flat on the floor and knees are level with hips. Position computer monitors at eye level and directly in front to prevent neck strain. Mayo Clinic has a wonderful diagram and guide for your reference.
   
3. Take Regular Breaks: Incorporate short breaks throughout the day to stretch and rest muscles. Use micro-breaks to change positions, stand up, and perform simple stretches to alleviate tension and improve circulation. Micro-breaks have also been shown to boost productivity and help battle burnout.
   
4. Practice Proper Posture: Maintain good posture while sitting and standing. Sit upright with shoulders relaxed, back supported, and feet flat on the floor. Avoid slouching or leaning forward, which can strain muscles in the back and neck.
   
5. Use Ergonomic Accessories: Use ergonomic tools and accessories, such as wrist rests, ergonomic keyboards and mice, and adjustable monitor stands, to support proper alignment and reduce strain on muscles and joints.
   
6. Engage in Regular Exercise: Incorporate regular physical activity into daily routines to strengthen muscles and improve flexibility. Focus on exercises that target areas prone to strain, such as the back, neck, and shoulders, to build resilience and prevent injury.
   
7. Practice Mindful Movement: Be mindful of body mechanics when performing tasks, such as lifting or reaching. Use proper lifting techniques, bend at the knees and hips instead of the waist and avoid twisting motions that can strain muscles.
   
8. Stay Hydrated and Nourished: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and support muscle function. Maintain a balanced diet rich in nutrients to provide essential fuel for muscles and promote overall health and well-being.

Seeking the Help of a Chiropractor

Chiropractors can offer several ways to help individuals recover from muscle strain injuries:

Spinal Manipulation: Chiropractors use spinal manipulation techniques to realign the spine and joints, which can alleviate muscle tension and improve range of motion. By restoring proper alignment, chiropractic adjustments can reduce strain on surrounding muscles and promote faster healing.

Soft Tissue Therapy: Chiropractors may utilize soft tissue techniques such as massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy to target specific areas of muscle tension and tightness. These therapies help to relax tight muscles, increase blood flow, and reduce inflammation, facilitating the healing process.

Corrective Exercises: Chiropractors often prescribe specific exercises and stretches to strengthen weakened muscles, improve flexibility, and correct imbalances contributing to muscle strain injuries. These exercises help to rehabilitate injured muscles and prevent future injuries by promoting proper alignment and movement patterns.

Postural Education: Chiropractors provide guidance on proper posture and ergonomics to prevent recurrent muscle strain injuries. By teaching patients how to maintain optimal posture during daily activities and at work, chiropractors help reduce stress on muscles and joints, minimizing the risk of further injury.

Nutritional Advice: Proper nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting muscle recovery and overall healing. Chiropractors may offer dietary recommendations and supplements to support tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and promote optimal musculoskeletal health.

Lifestyle Modifications: Chiropractors work with patients to identify lifestyle factors that may contribute to muscle strain injuries, such as poor ergonomics, repetitive movements, or overexertion.

Overall, chiropractors take a holistic approach to treating muscle strain injuries, addressing the underlying causes of discomfort and promoting comprehensive healing and wellness. Through personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs, chiropractors help individuals recover from muscle strain injuries, restore function, and improve their quality of life. Those in the Snohomish County area are encouraged to contact Dr. Gill, chiropractor at Everett Spine and Rehab, if they are experiencing pain, discomfort or injuries from the workplace. At ESR, we are able to help evaluate and find a personalized regimen to help through this!

Sources:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
mayoclinic.org
calm.com
uclahealth.org
ehs.standford.edu
openai.com

While many folks today are telecommuting if they can due to the global health crisis, some people still have job sites or a cubical to commute to for work. Companies are supposed to adhere to safety protocols and training but at the end of the day, things still can happen. And during this trying time some companies are able to help workers where they are after an injury, and come to them.

When you get injured at work no matter how minor it is, it could cause serious problems later on.  From slipping on a wet floor and hurting your legs and feet to having something falls off a shelf onto your head in a stock room, your cubicle cabinet or even at a job site. There are also incidences where workers could be let into a building too early after chemicals are sprayed—you could inhale toxic substances which are extremely hazardous to your health.

Some types of common workplace injuries caused by:

• Slipping
• Tripping
• Falling
• Caught in machinery
• Car accidents
• Explosions
• Fires
• Struck by an object
• Repetitive motion injuries or over exertion from tasks
• Toxic air related injuries (older buildings can have mold issues, lead paint—also spraying chemicals in or around the building)
• Blood born pathogens (occupational hazards mostly, like in healthcare settings, usually)

Report it, always and get to an emergency clinic or local doctor ASAP.

No matter what injury or incident that occurs that can be a health hazard, you should always report it as soon as possible to your supervisor or someone on duty.  And of course, it’s even better if you have a witness. Even if you feel okay after the injury happens, you should still go to an emergency clinic, emergency room at the nearest hospital or your own doctor when it happens.  You need to get an evaluation to see if you need treatment or other assistance from a specialist doctor or a physical therapist.

You may need physical therapy to improve your injury

This way, you’ll have covered all your bases if something should happen later to your health.  Sometimes day, weeks, even months later an injury could get worse or you become sick in some other way.  While many injuries may seem minor, however, they could later on need surgery or some kind of rehab with physical therapy intervention—and many times this kind of program should start fairly soon after the injury.

Do you really need physical therapy (PT) and what is looked at?

While not every injury needs physical therapy, you may need it depending on your injury sustained—a doctor or specialist may recommend you seeing someone for assistance to get better.  When you have a muskoskeletal injury a variety of items are looked at:

• Bones
• Ligaments
• Joints
• Nerves
• Muscles
• Vascular system

Typically, any injury or accident that affected your body—like your head, neck, lower back, legs, shoulders, arms, hands, knees, and feet, could potentially benefit from a PT program. There are PT specialists who work with issues such as office place safety and ergonomics as well, if your injury warrants this kind of assistance.

You may still need to see an orthopedic doctor or surgeon to better understand your injury.  While CT scans, X-rays, MRIs are effective at diagnosis, they are more hazardous to health.  Ultrasounds are being used more and are less invasive imagery for the patient and can many times be more effective; it does need to be done by an ultrasound technician with more muskoskeletal experience.

Also, if needed, based on your injury your PT group may offer speech therapy or other specific kinds of needs—but this may be out of the general PT scope and may lead you to need other kinds of therapy specialists.  Most of the time, the typical PT therapy involved some sort of issue with your legs, arms, and sometimes head, neck and shoulder injuries.

PT is designed to help you:

• Regain motion and movement in a limb, back, neck and more
• Regain and re-train strength and abilities in injured body part or organ
• Regain the ability to walk, run etc. — like you did before and use assistance (crutches / cane / walker / wheelchair)
• Hopefully avoid surgery (not all the time)

Everything depends on the injury sustained and how severe it is and if you would benefit from assistance at a PT clinic. Even if you don’t believe you need the help, for work and medical documentation it is best to listen to your doctor or specialist because sometimes even the smallest of injuries could require surgery.

Is PT all you will need for a workplace injury?

You may need surgery. Many times therapy is the only intervention you may need for your injury, if fairly minor. If you do need surgery, you will be a PT routine after the surgery. Essentially, you need help to fully re-learn how to use your limb or other issues that has been corrected by the surgery. There are some kinds of back injuries over time that develop, that PT is better than having surgery like, lower back issues from lower spinal stenosis.

Remember, always to report the injury you sustained at the workplace or job site immediately, if possible.  Always get medical help, so you can be properly evaluated and keep all medical records.

Remember–Everett Spine & Rehab also offers expert physical therapy services.

If you were hurt on the job, here’s what you should know about using workers’ comp for chiropractic care.

Workers’ Comp and Chiropractor Treatment

If you have been injured while working, you retain the right to receive paid medical treatment via workers’ comp benefits. In all many states, your employer may offer workers comp benefits, but the terms may vary. Some States are more favorable for workers than others. If you are classified as an independent contractor, you may not receive workers’ comp. Or, your employer may be exempt from workers’ compensation in your state or have opted out of participating.

An experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to seek financial compensation to aid in your recovery process. They may file a workers’ comp claim, a personal injury claim, or both. Your lawyer can determine which claims to file and recover compensation on your behalf.

If you are granted permission to seek medical treatment from your workplace, you may be entitled to a number of chiropractic visits.

Additional chiropractic care may still be covered if your injuries are severe or chronic. Your personal injury lawyer can help request authorization from your employer.

Before you start treatment, you must let your employer know that you have been injured on the job and open a claim.

Your personal injury lawyer can let you know what your options and your compensation.

Everett Chiropractic Services to Treat Your

Your chiropractor may offer the following services to help treat your pain, including:

• Chiropractic adjustments – Adjustments can help restore your spine’s alignment while strengthening to relieve back pain caused by a herniated disc, a fall, faulty ergonomics, and other common work-related injuries
• Spinal decompression – Spinal decompression can relieve any pressure to the spinal column and provide non-invasive alternatives for back surgery
• Massage therapy – Chiropractors can use massage to increase circulation in your tissues, warm up the body for treatment, and promote muscle recovery
• Electrical Muscle Stimulation – Electrical pulses can contract your muscles to provide pain relief and faster blood flow to aid healing
• Corrective exercises – Exercising your body can help strengthen your muscles so you can heal quickly and safely

Get Chiropractic Care to Relieve Your Pain and Suffering

During your initial assessment, we will perform a physical examination, take down your medical history, and order x-rays.

How much treatment your injury may need can vary. Your chiropractor can help determine the proper treatment to get you back on your feet. Here at Everett Spine & Rehab, our goal is to get you back on track and back to “normal.” Our Everett physical therapists, massage therapists and experienced chiropractors are here to make sure you get the relief you need and our services are non-invasive for those looking for a drug-free alternative.

If you have been injured while working, seek out a personal injury lawyer to find out about workers’ comp-related injuries and your rights.

Some Causes of Workplace Hand Injuries

Many workplace hand injuries are categorized as Repetitive Strain Injuries, or RSI. Typing, using a computer mouse, or swiping items at the grocery store are examples of motions that can cause an RSI injury. Symptoms of RSI include burning, aching, and shooting pain as well as tremors, clumsiness, and numbness. Fatigue or lack of strength as well as chronically cold hands are also symptoms of RSI. Leaving these symptoms untreated may eventually cause them to become constant and have longer periods of pain. Untreated symptoms can also develop swelling in the affected area, which can last for several months.

What is RSI?

When tendonitis of the hand is caused by repeatedly pinching or twisting something with the thumb such as lifting a coffee mug or peeling vegetables, it is also considered an RSI, an umbrella term including carpal tunnel syndrome and other overuse injuries. Defined as being damage to muscles, tendons, nerves, and joints through repeated micro-trauma, adequate rest is crucial. After a hand injury, many people try to determine on their own how much rest and how much exercise is needed. This can be harmful and prevent appropriate healing. Following the care of a physical therapist is a responsible approach to healing a hand injury correctly.

There are many ways physical therapy can treat an RSI hand injury. Modalities to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, decrease pain, and reeducate muscles all support hand injury healing. The most important approach of physical therapy, however, is manual, hands-on techniques and exercise instruction. This can increase muscular flexibility, joint range of movement, muscular strength, and endurance. This type of care is different for each injury. These individualized plans need to be monitored closely and progressed slowly by a physical therapist.

It is important to treat an RSI in the early stages. While rest is a crucial factor in healing, stretching exercises such as the prayer stretch, clutching stretch, and finger pull stretch will allow your muscles and tendons to become looser and your hands to regain more movement. A physical therapist will know which exercises are appropriate for your specific injury. Following the guidance and treatment of a physical therapist is crucial in the process of regaining full hand capability. Contact Everett Spine & Rehab and let one of our physical therapists treat your hand: 425-347-8614. Walk-ins are welcome. Find us at 927 128th St SW Ste B, Everett, WA 98204.

Ice or heat? That’s the question…when it comes to joint pain.

Today Dr. Gill talks about whether you should use ice or heat for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, basically any kind of joint pain you might be having.

Speaking in general terms, ice is usually the best for acute conditions meaning the injury happened in the last 72 hours or the last three days. Those types of injuries are typically going to have a lot of inflammation which is your body’s way trying to protect itself and start the healing process. Typically, though our bodies produce too much inflammation which can be painful and actually slow down the healing process if we are not careful. So ice is usually the best thing to numb that area, cool that off, and to help get that inflammation.  and heat generally speaking is best for more chronic conditions like chronic muscle spasms and realty tight muscles. we typically use heat after the patient has been in the office for some time and and it’s been at least 3 days since the injury if not longer.

Heat is good to relax the muscles and just to make the patient feel better overall. Now there’s danger in using the wrong one at the wrong time. For example, we’ve had patients that put heat on the injury too soon after an acute injury–this will result in inflammation in that area and can cause more pain and more suffering. Now putting ice on chronic painful conditions is probably not going to have bad side effects of putting heat on an acute injury, but it may not have the benefit that you would get from putting heat on that same injury. So it’s important to use the right one at the right time.

CTS occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the palm of the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. The carpal tunnel is a narrow, rigid passageway of ligament and bones at the base of the hand which houses the median nerve and the tendons that bend the fingers. The median nerve provides feeling to the palm side of the thumb and to the index, middle, and part of the ring fingers (although not the little finger). It also controls some small muscles at the base of the thumb. Sometimes, thickening from the lining of irritated tendons or other swelling narrows the tunnel and compresses the median nerve. The result may be numbness, weakness, or sometimes pain in the hand and wrist (some people may feel pain in the forearm and arm). (source: NIH)

There are a variety of causes of CTS from conducting repetitive or awkward hand motions, such as those in specific lines of work (sewing, assembly, manufacturing, food processing, hair styling, cleaning), to hereditary factors. There are also non-occupational factors associated with other factors like arthritis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, menopause, and wrist cysts. (source: ccohs.ca)

What are the treatments for CTS?

The good news is there are various things you can try to help alleviate the pain from CTS. Non surgical treatment include: wearing wrist splints or braces, taking NSAIDS, presciption medications like corticosteroids and chiropractic care.

If you’ve suffered from a fall at work, for example, the result may be a sprain, dislocated shoulder, broken bones, head injury, hip fracture, or spinal injury. Obviously, no two injuries are the same, and the same goes with their respective treatment plans. One thing for sure is that you’ll want to be able to move and work as freely as you did before your injury.

You’ve heard about “work conditioning” but what exactly is it? Work conditioning (sometimes referred to as “work hardening”) is a specific type of injury rehabilitation phase that helps you get ready to return to work. Of course, with physical therapy in general, the goal is to improve your mobility, strength, endurance and range of motion (as well as to prevent re-injury). During the work conditioning part of rehab, the therapist will create customized exercises for you that mimic your job duties so your body can become reaccustomed to those specific functions (so you safely transition back to work and perform your job as you did before). Consider it like you’re in a workplace simulation for your specific job.

Who can benefit from work conditioning?

• Police
• Firefighters
• Health care professionals
• Truck drivers
• Mechanics
• Construction workers

The amount of sessions and how long those session will be, will be determined by your physical therapist. First thing’s first, however—if you’ve suffered a work injury, seek immediate medical help! When your doctor thinks you’re ready for physical rehabilitation, please come see us! Everett Physical Therapy at 927 18^th St. SW Suite B in Everett.