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After a car accident, it's natural to feel relieved if you walk away seemingly unharmed. You might think you're fine, but minor to severe injuries don't immediately appear. It's important to know that internal injuries could develop, and get an assessment ASAP.
Luckily, help is available. Healthcare professionals are focusing on these types of delayed-onset injuries. When you visit a chiropractor, for example, they’re trained to find hidden auto accident injuries that often don't show up until days or weeks later.
Let's explore what chiropractors check after an auto injury to help you understand what to expect during your first visit for chiropractic treatment.
Car accident injuries aren't always apparent. For instance, clinical studies reveal that headaches can appear several days after the incident. Just because you feel fine doesn't mean your spine is.
This delay occurs due to an adrenaline rush, the body's fight-or-flight response to traumatic events. Adrenaline reduces pain sensations, among many other effects, masking any injuries resulting from the accident.
While bruises, cuts, and other minor injuries are immediately noticeable, soft tissue damage like sprains and strains often takes time to show. Getting a post-accident evaluation ASAP is essential to start your recovery and avoid complications.
When you visit a car accident chiropractor after an incident, they'll thoroughly assess your physical health to identify hidden injuries and create a personalized treatment plan. Here’s what they usually check:
Since the spinal cord is a crucial component of the nervous system, proper alignment is essential for normal nerve responses and organ function. This is why an auto injury chiropractor will check your spinal alignment right away.
They will thoroughly examine your back and may use an X-ray to pinpoint any misalignments or injuries to your vertebrae.
Soft tissue damage, like a sprain or strain, might not seem as severe as a broken bone right after a traumatic event. However, ignoring this initial pain could lead to long-term complications.
A chiropractor will examine your soft tissues to determine the extent of the injury. Like many other healthcare professionals, they usually perform palpations and mobilization to detect muscle tension and painful spots where tendons, ligaments, and fascia are damaged.
A car crash can severely impact your joint strength, control, and coordination. Your limbs might feel weak and difficult to move, a common symptom as the body's protective muscle spasms and swelling limit your mobility to prevent further injury.
Conditions like whiplash and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) also lead to neck pain and balance issues, increasing the risk of falls.
Checking for joint mobility often involves a chiropractor gently moving your neck, back, and limbs or asking you to move them yourself to detect movement restrictions. Some will also use imaging tech to pinpoint deep-seated structural damage that causes mobility issues.
Evaluating your posture and gait (how you stand and walk) for problems, such as post-traumatic kyphosis (forward slouch) and unsteady gait, helps a chiropractor detect misalignments that often cause severe pain and mobility problems.
A chiropractor will perform visual assessments and a series of movement tests to assess your posture and gait. A Romberg test is a common approach. Here, you'll be asked to stand up with feet together and eyes closed while an examiner observes for swaying or stumbling, which can indicate balance issues.
Neurological assessments reveal hidden brain and nerve injuries that might not immediately be apparent. These conditions have lasting complications on your life, making early detection extremely essential.
Chiropractors use several techniques to detect neurological problems after a car accident. They may perform reflex and sensory tests to assess how well you respond to various stimuli. If they suspect a more serious issue, they can refer you for advanced imaging like CT or MRI scans for a detailed look at your nervous system.
Such assessments will reveal any hidden car accident injuries to your chiropractor in Burbank, CA, enabling them to create a personalized treatment plan to jumpstart your recovery. Some conditions they could find include:
These injuries affect movement, sleep, and overall health and even worsen into more severe conditions, making prompt car accident chiropractic care essential to your healing.
Now that you know what chiropractors check after an auto injury, let’s understand why getting assessed early is crucial for your recovery.
Due to their drug-free and noninvasive nature, chiropractic adjustments are an ideal choice for early post-accident care, offering a way to alleviate pain and discomfort without the side effects of medication.
Remember: Just because you feel fine doesn't mean you're uninjured. A post-accident evaluation can help you detect hidden accident injuries early. For peace of mind and safety, visit a clinic and use your knowledge of what chiropractors check after an auto injury to understand the process better.
For your first visit, choose a trusted professional in Burbank, CA, like Dr. Bijan Nowzari from More Life Chiropractic. He uses cutting-edge techniques and equipment to spot hidden injuries and create personalized treatment plans so you can get back to living your life to the fullest.
Schedule a consultation with us today!
