Car Accidents!!

     This is the time of the year when we inevitably see a spike in the number of patients coming in as a result of a motor vehicle accident. The roads are slippery and an accident will happen when you least expect it. It doesn’t take much force for there to be injury to the spine. Research has shown that as little as a 5mph impact can cause significant damage to the neck in what everyone knows to be called whiplash. Whiplash can be minor with only having mild neck stiffness and all the way to severe whiplash which will cause headaches, neck pain and nerve pain down into the arms. All cases of whiplash are extremely important to have evaluated so as to prevent major issues from arising in the future.

     Many times people will have some soreness and stiffness that lasts a couple days and then the body adapts and the pain goes away. This adaptation is common but it is also the reason why chronic issues start within the spine years later. Even though the pain is gone it does not mean the problem is gone. This hidden injury will linger over the years and may give the occasional sore neck. That is what we refer to as a warning sign; an indication that there is a lingering problem that the body is adapting to. The problem with this adaptation is that while you may be mostly asymptomatic (pain free) the problem will slowly get worse. It is not uncommon for me to see someone 10-15 years after an accident and find on x-ray significant damage in the area of where they had their whiplash.

     Luckily we have auto insurance that fully acknowledges the benefits of chiropractic care. MPI will cover any injury sustained in a car accident. Even if it has been several months after the accident you should ensure that you get checked out to see if there are lingering issues that could be related.

     So if you, or someone you know, has recently been in a motor vehicle accident make sure you give us a call and schedule an appointment to be thoroughly checked. If you, or someone you know has been in a car accident years prior and are having lingering or sporadic issues it is never too late to get a thorough evaluation.