Every few seconds, somebody is involved in a car accident. People who have been involved in a collision will suffer trauma to some degree. A collision at only 8 miles per hour is powerful enough to cave in the steel of a bumper. Imagine how it has affected the delicate ligaments in your neck. If 8 miles per hour can cause damage to your spine, imagine what happens at 35, 45 or even 55 miles per hour! Many times I’ve had patients come into my office who’ve been suffering with neck & back pain for 20 years. And when I took a case history, I discovered that the trouble all stemmed from an auto accident they had a long time ago. They didn’t connect the dots & make the connection that all this misery & suffering they’ve been dealing with all this time was a result of that one accident all those years ago!
One patient, Shelly D. came to see me because of carpal tunnel like symptoms in both of her wrists and hands. Shelly is a registered nurse and as such has a very physical job (lifting patients, changing dressings, etc..). Her job also requires her to do a lot of paperwork. Shelly’s problem started 15 years ago after she was involved in an car accident. She was stopped at a red light when a large pickup truck rear-ended her going 35 miles per hour. Shelly suffered a severe whiplash injury (which is an injury to her spine and nervous system). The nerves that stem from the cervical (or neck area) of her spine and go down into her arms were badly damaged. Shelly’s cervical spine was knocked out of alignment and as a result, her discs and joints were wearing out. Shelly told me that she had been taking muscle relaxers and narcotic strength pain killers after the accident. And for years, she relied on over the counter pain medications so she could cope with her job and lifestyle. Auto collisions are a leading cause of spinal injuries which lead to neck pain, back pain, headaches, migraines and other symptoms. Sometimes the symptoms start immediately after the collision. Other times the accident victim walks away feeling fine. But days, weeks, months or even years later, they develop progressive symptoms. What’s worse is that they aren’t aware of the connection between their symptoms and the injuries they sustained during the collision.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at x-rays of a patient and told them they were in an auto accident 20 years ago. The patient looks at me incredulously and says “Doc, how in the world did you know?” And my response to them is – I can see it on the x-ray. If your spine gets knocked out of alignment, over time it will start to degenerate & wear out prematurely. It’s often not a matter of “if”, it’s a matter of “when”.
If you or a loved one has been involved in an auto accident you need to get your spine checked immediately. If you’ve been involved in an auto accident and are suffering with any kind of symptoms, it is a sign that you have suffered some kind of damage to your spine and nervous system. It is vitally important that you get checked by a doctor of chiropractic who specializes in treating auto accident injuries.
YOUR RIGHTS
Every driver in the state of Pennsylvania must carry insurance.And every insurance policy provides medical coverage for anyone who has been injured as a result of an auto accident.This coverage is called med-pay.Another term for med-pay is personal injury protection (or “PIP”).The minimum coverage that Pennsylvanian drivers must carry (by law) is $5,000.00 of med-pay.That means that the first $5,000.00 of your medical bills will be covered by your automobile insurance.Also, in 99.9% of the times, there is no deductible and no co-pays.That means you can get the care you need and without any out of pocket costs whatsoever.
CAN MY RATES GO UP IF I USE MY MED-PAY?
By law, your insurance company may not raise your insurance rates (premiums) because you used your medical coverage. It doesn’t matter who’s at fault of the accident. You have a right to use this medical coverage.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
After being involved in an automobile accident, the most common thing people do is to go to the hospital for evaluation. If there are no broken bones, cuts, scrapes or lacerations, the emergency room physician will probably give you a prescription for an anti-inflammatory drug, a pain drug and/or a muscle relaxer. He will then give you icing instructions and suggest following up with your family physician if you’re experiencing symptoms after two weeks. Your family physician will prescribe the same types of medications. And when that doesn’t work, he’ll either refer you to some other type of medical specialist (such as a neurologist, or orthopedic surgeon).
While medications certainly have their place in healthcare, I am not a big fan of using them to treat musculoskeletal problems (such as back pain, neck pain, headaches, etc..) because they don’t really do much other than to mask symptoms.They don’t actually cure you or go after the root cause of your problems.
Instead of numbing your body with pain pills, a better choice is chiropractic coupled with rehabilitation. Not all chiropractors do the same thing. So it’s important to choose one who has the training and equipment to treat auto accident injuries.
OUR UNIQUE APPROACH
At Advanced Chiropractic, we offer a unique approach to treating auto accident injuries. Our methods are extremely effective at getting you out of pain, restoring range of motion, improving posture, and correcting misalignments. We have treated people who had been to numerous medical doctors, various therapists and even other chiropractors and weren’t getting any results until they came to us. Our methods are different and they work.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you’ve been involved in an automobile accident, call our office to schedule an appointment for a consultation and examination. In most cases we will be able to help you. We have special training in diagnosing and treating automobile accident injuries. Take the first step in getting better by calling us now: 724-941-6800.
