How Soon After Injury Should You Go to a Chiropractor?
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s important to visit your chiropractor as soon as possible. This is because even minor injuries can cause stiffness, headaches, numbness and more.
Getting treatment as soon as possible can help your body recover faster and reduce the risk of permanent damage. Read on to learn more about how often you should visit a chiropractor and why.
Symptoms
While some initial soreness, stiffness or discomfort after an injury is normal, if there's pain, swelling, loss of strength or mobility, or discoloration of the skin, these are signs that it may be time to see a chiropractor. If you don't get the proper treatment for a soft tissue injury, it can lead to chronic pain and weakness or permanent damage.
Swelling is one of the most obvious symptoms of a sprain. It typically occurs within the first 24 hours and can be very noticeable, even turning the injured area a purple or black color. Resting the injured muscle is one of the most important things you can do to start the healing process, and this will help reduce swelling. Putting an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the injured area for 15 – 20 minutes every 2 – 3 hours is also helpful. Elevating the injured body part, if possible, will also reduce swelling by allowing fluid to drain away from the area.
The most serious sports injuries, such as a broken bone or severe sprain, require immediate medical attention. Call 911 if you experience heavy bleeding, visible injury or deformity, changes in mental status, severe pain, rapid or weak pulse, blood in vomit or stool, breathing difficulties, chest pain, pressure or sensation, or any other symptom that seems life-threatening.
Your doctor will perform a physical exam of the injury to check for points of tenderness and swelling. Your doctor may also ask you to move the injured muscle and observe how it responds. A sudden onset of pain can indicate a serious injury, while pain that continues to intensify over the course of several hours is another indication that an injury has occurred. Your doctor may also be able to determine the extent of the injury by looking at the alignment of the affected joint and comparing it to the opposite healthy joint.
Diagnosis
Auto Injury chiropractor is an allied health professional who offers treatment for conditions that affect your bones and muscles (musculoskeletal system). Chiropractors are trained to diagnose your pain using a variety of techniques, including chiropractic manipulation. They can also advise on exercises, stretches and other activities to do to keep your symptoms at bay. They may suggest other treatments, including acupuncture and massage.
They will ask about your symptoms, how they started and how long they have been occurring. They will also look at your medical history, particularly your family health history, to see if your symptoms might be linked to any other conditions you have. They will then carry out a physical exam, focusing on your spine, and ask you to move in different positions. They will also do neurological examinations, which are tests designed to assess the function of your motor, sensory and cranial nerves. These can include checking your reflexes and looking for numbness or tingling.
Your chiropractor will then provide you with a differential diagnosis, which is an assessment of all the possible causes of your pain and a working diagnosis – that is, the most likely cause. They will explain their diagnosis and recommend a treatment plan, which might involve a series of sessions. These might start off with you having a few treatments a week for a few weeks, but will decrease as your condition improves.
You should always consult your primary care physician if your symptoms persist, as they might not be related to your injury and you may need more treatment. Research has shown that chiropractic therapy, including spinal manipulation, is an effective form of treatment for back and neck injuries.
Before you get a chiropractic appointment, check that the practitioner is licensed and has an excellent reputation. You can ask your healthcare provider for recommendations, or search online for practitioners in your area. You should also find out whether they accept your health insurance, as the scope of practice for chiropractors varies by state and even by insurers.
Treatment
Chiropractors can help with a range of conditions affecting your muscles and bones. They are a recognised allied health profession and can be accessed. They can also be found through health directories. Before your treatment, they will explain what to expect from the appointment and how many sessions they think you will need. They will also discuss any risks and side effects.
During the treatment, you will be asked to move into different positions and may hear cracking sounds as the practitioner puts pressure on joints. You should wear loose clothing and remove any jewellery before your appointment.
Treatment usually involves a combination of methods, such as spinal manipulation and soft tissue massage. Your chiropractor may also prescribe corrective exercises or complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, to treat your injury. They may also recommend dietary and lifestyle changes to improve your overall wellbeing.
You might feel tired or sore after a chiropractic adjustment, but these symptoms should not last long. You might also have some numbness or tingling in the area your chiropractor treated. This is normal, but if these symptoms persist or become worse, talk to your chiropractor.
Some chiropractors have a broad approach to health and wellness, while others focus on treating particular injuries or illnesses. They are often involved in community projects and can be found serving on government or hospital boards, as well as running their own practices. They are also teachers, researchers and lecturers.
Many health insurance plans now include chiropractic care as part of the coverage. If yours does not, you can always ask a friend or family member for recommendations. You should also make sure that your practitioner has insurance to cover any treatments they provide for you.
Recovery
A good chiropractor will not only manipulate the injured tissues but also give you instructions on how to move and exercise to speed up the healing process. Injured muscles often tighten up and the resulting pain limits movement. To increase your mobility, start with simple range of motion exercises like bending and straightening the affected joint. Do this three to four times a day, gradually increasing the number of movements and frequency of repetitions. Your chiropractor may also recommend icing the affected area and applying a heating pad to ease your pain. A regular massage and the use of pain-relieving medications can also speed up the recovery process.
It is important to see your chiropractor regularly to prevent future injury and pain. Many people visit chiropractors for neck or back pain, but chiropractic care can help with a variety of issues. It can help with sports injuries, car accident injury, and even chronic problems such as "tech neck," where you have a habit of hunching over a screen for long periods of time.
Chiropractors are trained to recognize when the injury is more serious than they can treat on their own and will refer you for other medical help. If you have a broken bone or serious fracture, this will require additional medical treatment from a doctor or surgeon. It is also not a good idea to seek chiropractic treatment if you have osteoporosis or fragile health, since spinal manipulation can cause some jerking motions in the body and could hurt you.
In addition to spinal manipulation, a chiropractor can help with other issues such as herniated discs and arthritis by relieving pressure on the surrounding tissues. They can also advise you on changes to your lifestyle that might help to avoid a return of pain such as buying ergonomic furniture, starting a stretching routine or even placing a pillow between your knees when sleeping.
You do not actually need an injury to visit a chiropractor, but most people go for preventative reasons. They can teach you about healthy lifestyle choices and how to keep your joints and muscles functioning properly, and weekly or monthly visits may provide the most benefit.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s important to visit your chiropractor as soon as possible. This is because even minor injuries can cause stiffness, headaches, numbness and more. Getting treatment as soon as possible can help your body recover faster and reduce the risk of permanent damage. Read on to learn more…