auto injury | Everett Spine & Rehab

How Long Should I Wait Before Seeing a Chiropractor After a Car Accident?

admin — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 22:23:54 +0000

So you got into a car accident…now you’re wondering how you long you should wait before seeing a an Everett chiropractor

Car accidents can be overwhelming, but if you have recently been in one, there are several things you should do as soon as possible. One of your biggest priorities is getting medical attention. Even if you feel fine, your injuries may not surface until days after the accident, including whiplash, a common injury that may take some time to emerge.

Whether you have apparent injuries or aren’t sure, it’s essential to go directly to the Emergency Room right after the collision to check for internal injuries, head injuries, and more. We recommend seeking emergency help since your primary care physician may not be set up to handle accident victims. They may not have the medical billing insurance system in place to properly bill a car accident.

Car accident injuries are important to treat.

If you have been injured, it’s essential that you don’t waste precious time.

When You Should See a Chiropractor

If you are experiencing whiplash, you should visit a chiropractor immediately after your treatment at the ER. Waiting until after a settlement from the car crash to begin chiropractic treatment could pause your healing process. Even if you do not have health insurance that will cover chiropractic care, and most insurance providers will, you may be able to receive reimbursement for the chiropractor after the settlement. Getting a settlement can be a lengthy process, even with an experienced attorney. It may take some time to gather evidence, witness statements, and medical reports.

Generally, you will want to see a chiropractor within 72 hours of the crash. Chiropractic treatment is a holistic form of medicine that does not use surgery or other invasive procedures. Most chiropractors can treat whiplash and other car accident injuries.

During your initial visit, your Everett or local chiropractor will conduct a physical examination, note your medical history, and take x-rays. In many cases, they will not perform an adjustment during this visit.

What Is Whiplash?

Whiplash often happens if your car has been rear-ended by another motor vehicle. The force of the impact may cause your head and neck to move back and forth suddenly, like a whip. This can form severe pressure on the soft tissues and the intervertebral discs.

Whiplash Symptoms

Commonly, neck pain is the most immediate sign of whiplash, but there are other signs. If you have been rear-ended, you may also experience:

What is whiplash?

Arm pain
Pain in the shoulders
Back pain
Blurry vision
Headaches
Nausea
Insomnia
Dizziness
Depression

It can take up to 48 hours for you to feel the effects of whiplash that can continue worsening. When looking for a chiropractor, look for someone who has experience with car accident injuries. Some chiropractors may specialize in sports injuries or other types of pain.

If you have a personal injury lawyer, they may be able to recommend a reputable healer.

Chiropractic Treatment in Everett for Whiplash

There are various forms of chiropractic treatment for whiplash, including spinal manipulation by hand. Treatment for whiplash and other injuries can also involve electrical muscle stimulation, massage, ultrasound, and other non-invasive practices.

Overall, seeking chiropractic attention may even reduce your overall medical bills since they can reduce the risk of re-injury or making the injury worse. The length of your treatment can vary. There is no way to predict how long it will take. Some patients only require a few sessions, while others may take a month or even ongoing chiropractic care since whiplash can become chronic. Take care of yourself and don’t let things get potentially worse. Everett Spine & Rehab is here to help find the best treatment for you car accident injury. Please call us to schedule your Everett Chiropractic appointment today: 425-347-8614.

The post How Long Should I Wait Before Seeing a Chiropractor After a Car Accident? first appeared on Everett Spine & Rehab.

Should I Get Chiropractic Care or Physical Therapy for a Car Accident Injury?

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 22:36:13 +0000

Today I would like to talk to you about doing physical therapy or chiropractic therapy when it being involved in an injury
such as a car accident.

Technically, you should be doing both.

What we do in our office is we start with chiropractor care, as well as deep tissue massage therapy during your acute/subacute states of recovery from your injury.

Once you have demonstrated spinal stability and have begun to heal the most painful part of your injuries, we then refer you to physical therapy, either to our in-house physical therapist, Dr. Sapida, or to a physical therapist of your choice.

So think about it. Do you get referred to physical therapy right after surgery, or do you generally wait until the surgery has
healed somewhat? Now, if you broke your arm or had a laceration, would you start physical therapy right away, or wait until there has been some healing that has taken place? Well, same thing happens inside of us.

When we've had a whiplash type injury, we generally will have some degree of tearing of the muscles and ligaments that move your body and hold your joints together. To start exercising those muscles and ligaments right after an injury is not the best thing to do, especially after an auto accident.

Sometimes it's best to let those tissue heal naturally with chiropractic and massage therapy, while gently guiding you through those treatments to make sure the spine aligns and heals correctly and that the deep tissue massage therapy treatments, which help prevent muscles from going into spasm and contracture, has an opportunity to let things kind of relax before you get into the next phase of care. Once that phase of recovery has passed, you should then start physical therapy.

Oftentimes I see patients, primary care providers, family doctors, refer them right away to physical therapy, immediately after a car accident. Well, coincidentally, statistically, those are also the patients that take the longest to heal and often time don't make a full recovery.

However, by doing physical therapy at the appropriate time and in conjunction with chiropractic care and massage therapy,
you ensure your chances of reaching maximum medical improvement and pre-injury status with minimal if not any residual symptoms whatsoever after the treatment.

I generally like to start, like I said, with chiropractic care and massage therapy care, in the acute/subacute stages of recovery and then when you're stable enough we move on to physical therapy and transition from active to passive care.

If you'd like to learn more about that, if you'd like to learn more about please call 425-347-8614 to setup a complimentary consultation.

The post Should I Get Chiropractic Care or Physical Therapy for a Car Accident Injury? first appeared on Everett Spine & Rehab.

Whiplash FAQs

admin — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:57:26 +0000

If you were just in an auto accident and you don’t have any apparent broken bones, you might turn your attention to your vehicle. That said, you may have soft tissue injuries you don’t even yet realize, such as a whiplash injury.

Here’s everything you need to know about whiplash:

Q: What is whiplash?
A: Whiplash is soft tissue damage that is often caused by a car accident injury. Any injury or incident in which you are whipped violently forward and then jerked back can lead to whiplash, though.
This can affect the neck, back, or shoulders. You may feel stiffness, intense pain, and be unable to lift your arm or turn your head.

Q: I was just in an auto accident and I don’t feel any pain yet. Does this mean I don’t have a whiplash injury?
A: No, it does not mean you don’t have a whiplash injury. The adrenaline and shock of the auto accident is so strong it may be days before you feel any pain. In some instances, it takes a week for the pain to develop.

Q: Does whiplash get worse over time?
A: Yes, whiplash injuries tend to get worse over time. This is, of course, if they’re left untreated. To prevent chronic pain, you should get medical treatment for your injuries, such as through a chiropractor.

Q: How is whiplash treated?
A: A chiropractor will use techniques like adjustments, manipulations, and spinal decompressions to correct spinal misalignments, reduce the pressure on pinched nerves, and heal the injured soft tissue. By releasing healing nutrients to the damaged tissue, pain is greatly reduced.

About Everett Spine & Rehab, Your Choice for Whiplash Care after an Auto Injury

If you just had an auto injury and you need treatment for your whiplash, come to us at Everett Spine & Rehab. Our trained chiropractors treat migraines, headaches, back pain, neck pain, auto accident injuries, and more.

Through our services–massage therapy, physical therapy, and chiropractic care–you can get pain relief for your car accident injury. Call us today at 425-347-8614 or stop by Everett Spine & Rehab on 927 128th Street Southwest, Suite B. We’re located near:

West Lake Stevens, WA.
Marysville, WA.
Mukilteo, WA.
Snohomish, WA.
Mill Creek, WA.
North Marysville, WA.
Martha Lake, WA.
North Creek, WA.

The post Whiplash FAQs first appeared on Everett Spine & Rehab.