Car accidents are scary and are often considered traumatic because of the residual effects that ensue after an accident. Even the most minor car accidents can be followed by physical and mental symptoms weeks after the initial impact. When it comes to the human body it is designed to process traumas that can look different from one individual to the next. Understanding common symptoms that you may have after an accident will help you determine if there are injuries that need to be addressed.
What Does Auto Accident Care Look Like?
When it comes to auto accident care, patients who have been in an auto accident can be treated using non-invasive treatments. Auto accidents are traumatic, and in the ensuing chaos, it is easy for injuries to be missed by emergency personnel at the scene and even in the emergency room. Often, car accident injury symptoms are not immediately apparent and sometimes don’t surface for days or even weeks after the initial event. Because it may take weeks for symptoms to manifest, it’s important to seek treatment for any physical symptoms that may present themselves after an auto accident. These later onset symptoms can indicate an undiagnosed injury and lead to more serious problems if they are not treated. If imaging is needed, this can be ordered and reviewed to better assist in the treatment plan. By using non-invasive treatments pain can be alleviated and wellness promoted.
Common Symptoms
There are a variety of symptoms that can occur directly after a car accident or after the weeks that follow. It’s important to pay attention to anything that is outside of the norm when it comes to your body and how it feels. These common symptoms can occur after a car accident and should be addressed with your medical practitioner.
- Muscle Spasms
- Muscle Strain
- Stiffness
- Neck And Back Pain
- Burning And Tingling
- Decreased Range Of Motion
- Headaches
- Light Sensitivity
- Difficulty Sleeping
- Increased Fatigue
- Aching
- Soreness
Non-Invasive Treatment Solutions
Trigger Point Injections– Trigger point injections contain a combination of two local anesthetics known as lidocaine and bupivacaine. These medications help to vasodilate the vessels of the muscle to allow more blood to flow to the muscle. In turn, this provides more oxygen and nutrients which the muscles need to be nourished. On top of vasodilation, the use of the needle injections creates pathways for the blood to flow into the trigger point supplying it with oxygen and nutrients as well.
Chiropractic Care– Commonly used treatments during chiropractic care sessions are arthrostim and percussor treatments. Arthrostim is often referred to as a ‘jack hammer’ that is used to mobilize the joints without straining them or causing a patient pain. The percussor treatment is a deep tissue myofascial release instrument that releases muscle spasms, deep tissue tightness, and muscle strains.
Deep Tissue Laser Therapy– Deep tissue laser therapy causes a photochemical response in damaged tissue which is called photobiomodulation. The process stimulates cellular healing by enabling cells to produce ATP energy more rapidly. Simply stated, this laser therapy jumpstarts recovery in damaged cells by converting light energy into cellular energy. It also increases blood flow, decreases inflammation, increases healing of wounds and facilitates healing of the body,
Spinal Decompression– Non-surgical spinal decompression is an FDA cleared computerized treatment for treatment of the neck (cervical) and lower back (lumbar) spine. When it comes to disc compression, the disc bulges or herniates and can press, crush, flatten and bruise the spinal cord and nerve roots. Decompression stretches the spine and disc creating negative pressure that pulls the disc material back into the middle of the disc alleviating pressure off of the nerve and reversing the initial compression on the disc.
When it comes to minor car accidents it can be easy to ignore signs that a greater injury has taken place. Taking the time to make sure that your body has not suffered injury from a car accident is key in preventing future problems from occurring. Remember that symptoms can sometimes take weeks to present themselves so be patient but also be thorough in order to ensure that your health is at its optimal.
