Why You Should Consult a Chiropractor for Car Accident Back Injury Treatment

Car accidents often result in painful back injuries, especially during forceful impacts that jolt your vertebral column sideways, frontwards, or backwards. Minor back injuries can usually be treated by medication and physical therapy. However, many patients also prefer to visit a chiropractor either for complementary or alternative care. In fact, 7.7 million Americans go to chiropractors to obtain relief from persistent back pain. Here are the reasons why you would need a chiropractor for your car crash back injuries.

Complementary Care

You may want to go to a chiropractor for complementary care, which refers to using chiropractic aside from conventional medical approaches. A patient may want to use both conventional medicine and chiropractic care for a complementary health approach to his back injury. He may want to add chiropractic treatment as he feels that prescription drugs are not enough to alleviate his pain.

Another form of complementary care is a combination of non-traditional treatments to back pain such as acupuncture and spinal manipulation. Chiropractic spinal manipulation, in fact, sometimes work better when combined with traditional treatment like using heat packs and a firm mattress. Complementary care is an ideal option for patients who do not want to rely too heavily on pain medication.

Alternative Treatment

While some patients like to add chiropractic care to their usual medical regimen to relieve back pain, others would opt for full chiropractic as an alternative treatment. For back injuries including low back pain, a chiropractor may conduct spinal manipulation after a comprehensive check up. Spinal manipulation, also called a high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust, relieves joint pressure, inflammation, and pain by combining the moving and jolting of the joints with other forms of back exercises. Chiropractors may do spinal manipulation manually or with tools, either of which can offer mild to moderate back pain relief. Spinal manipulation is a generally safe back injury treatment when applied by a licensed and experienced chiropractor. Any possible side effects can be chalked up to minor discomfort, and they usually go away in a day or two.

Some patients feel that conventional medicines fail to adequately address their symptoms and injuries so they go to a chiropractor for complementary care. Others prefer chiropractic care directly as their main choice of treatment due to its non-surgical approach apart from its effectiveness and safety. If ever you decide to choose chiropractic for complementary or alternative treatment, make sure to choose a clinic with licensed and experienced chiropractors only in order to ensure your safety and to obtain proper care.

Sources:

“Chiropractic Care for Back Pain,” WebMD.com

“Spinal Manipulation for Low-Back Pain,” nccih.nih.gov

Dr. Darren Faherty D.C.

In 2004, Dr. Darren Faherty graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from UWEC - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Dr. Darren continued education at the highly esteemed University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) where he obtained his chiropractic degree in 2007. He has been helping people recover from injuries and return to their normal lifestyles ever since.