This ground breaking study has massive implications in general health care as well as car accident injury's. Done in 2007, and can be summed up with this statement, "“My research, conducted over a ten-year period utilizing clinical and cost outcomes data from one of the nation’s largest insurance underwriters, suggest that the regular utilization of chiropractic could reduce the need for hospitalization, pharmaceutical usage and overall global health care costs by almost 50 percent.”

I hear the following statement, or some semblance of it almost on a daily basis, "I was so afraid to come in and see you because I was afraid you would 'pop' me, and it would hurt, but I was so amazed that not only did you not pop me, it did not hurt!" So what makes us different here at Bellevue Whiplash Center, at Back in Action Chiropractic? We use technology to help us fix your neck and back which allows use to be very gentle with our adjustments.

Our chiropractic adjustments are to help the joints and ligaments of your spine heal following a motor vehicle accident. The purpose is to improve your body’s functioning and alleviate pain.

Adjustments, especially for car accidents,  are most commonly made to joints in your back, and neck, but also if you have injury's to other parts of your body we may treat other parts of the body, such as the shoulders, knees, wrists, or ankles. 

Chiropractic has been shown to help with not only whiplash injury's and back pain, but conditions such as:
• Neck, back, shoulder, arm, hand, chest, leg, or foot pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Sciatica
• Arthritis
• Scoliosis
• Sports injuries
• Repetitive strain disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

If chiropractic is new to you, you may have a bit of a hard time relaxing on your first visit, and this is nothing to worry about, as we will slowly explain everything we are doing and work with you.  As you get used to the procedures you should find that it is relaxing, and you may feel relief and a sense of well-being after the adjustment.

After your first treatment, you may feel some soreness or aching in the muscles or joints. If it occurs, this kind of discomfort usually mimics the soreness that you may feel after a vigorous exercise routine. It should not last longer than 24 hours. Typically an ice pack on the affected area of soreness in this case should help reduce the soreness and help you recover quickly.

If you have been involved in a Bellevue auto accident, be sure you choose a board-certified chiropractor with good patient references. An experienced, competent practitioner will be able to give you the most effective treatment possible with the least amount of discomfort.


References
Chiropractic Adjustment: What you can Expect. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chiropractic-adjustment/MY01107
Reactions Following a Chiropractic Adjustment. http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/reactions-following-a-chiropractic-adjustment

Every Chiropractor is very different in their approach to treating car accident injuries. This is a good thing because not every injury is exactly same and every ones body differs in how they respond to care. The following are things that I tell my friends, family, and out of state patients to look for when looking for a chiropractor out of state and what you should be looking for following a car accident.

1. Do they have a technique (how they treat you) that is best for your body and your specific injuries? Again, remember what I stated above. Not all chiropractors do things the same way and not all ways will work for your individual body or your individual injuries. So how do you know? First off if you are queasy AT ALL about the "snap, crackle, pop" that comes from a hands on treatment, then that is not right for you, and you need a more gentle treatment like the Proadjuster or the activator. Next, if you have ever received a "deep tissue" massage and been worse afterwards then a heavier chiropractic treatment is not for you.

2. Do they have a way of analyzing your ENTIRE body and all of the injuries that you had while in your car accident? Yes, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. It is important to assess you as a whole, because we are one big connected chain. Something that I see quite often when I am examining a patient who has been in a car accident is that the foot that they had on the brake pedal was affected. Its important that this is found and addressed. Something in your shoulders because of the seat belt could give you head aches. So, ask if they have a way to assess your feet such as digital scans of the foot, do they have ways to look at your arms and shoulders? Now it may not be necessary to do all of these tests on every person, but it is important that they have the ability to.

3. Does the chiropractor continue his education above and beyond the "required" hours to renew their license? The health care field is changing on a daily basis. New research is coming out all the time, and if every chiropractor does not stay up to date on what is new in the field of automobile injuries then they are not giving their patients the best care available. Every chiropractor in the United States has to have a certain number of continuing education each year. What I have found is that this amount is far less than what is necessary to keep up to date.

4. Do they do rehabilitation or prescribe exercises? This is a vital component to getting better following a car accident. I tell my patients all the time "I can put you back together all day long, but until your muscles can hold you there you are going to have ongoing problems". This does not have to be complex, but it does have to be a part of getting you better.
Make sure that when you are searching for a physician following your car accident that you ask these questions.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4809037

Seeing a chiropractor following a motor vehicle collision can be a very good idea for quite a few reasons. One is that we see a lot of accident victims and are experts at diagnosing and finding the root cause of your pain and discomfort. We are well trained at treating a variety of accident injuries. We are also one of the only physicians and providers that take a car accident case on a lien. One of my fellow chiropractors Troy Davis wrote a fantastic article detailing why seeing a chiropractor following a car accident is a great idea. Check it out here http://accidentdoctor.org/accident-chiropractor/

A lot of my patients ask me how I got into this whole thing called chiropractic, so 4 years ago (you tell it was a long time ago, with the baby face and all) I recorded this short video telling my story. I hope you enjoy.

“I was in a small car accident last month. It was really no big deal, I was stopped in traffic and the guy behind me was not paying attention and rear ended me going 30 miles an hour. Since then, I can’t turn my head to the right, my right arm is numb, and I can’t sleep through the night. I went to my family doctor and he eventually gave me a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory and a pain pill. I can sleep better but I hate that groggy feeling I get in the morning and to be honest, the pain is about the same. Is there anything chiropractic can do for me?”

This type of case presentation is something we see at Bellevue Whiplash Center at Back in Action Chiropractic all the time. Often, the treatment options offered by family doctors have side effects that can sometimes be more annoying than the condition being treated. Not only that but there may be underlying injurys as a result of the whiplash that may be creating your pain and leave you with life long disability. So the question is, “what can a chiropractor do for neck pain following a car accident?”

Neck pain following a whiplash injury is frequently caused by one or more of the 7 vertebra in the neck shifting out of alignment and literally, getting stuck – losing its ability to bend and rotate when we move our head and neck. It’s like taking one worker away from a group of 7 and asking the remaining 6 workers to do the same amount of work. This leads to all kinds of over-compensation in the other 6 vertebrae and can even alter function in the mid-back, as well. Depending on which nerve(s) get irritated, problems can include headaches, shoulder blade pain, arm pain, numbness and/or weakness. Another common problem that occurs when neck pain is present are muscle spasms in the neck area. This is due to a reflex reaction where the brain receives the pain signals from the neck and in response, sends signals back to the muscles to tighten in attempt to protect the problem. This becomes a “vicious cycle” and may continue until the joint is unlocked or released, which is the purpose of the chiropractic adjustment.

Chiropractic treatment for whiplash injuries works great because we are using a physical (not a chemical) form of treatment to unlock the joint, which in turns shuts off the signals from the joint to the brain and in turn, the protective muscle spasm discontinues. Sometimes, the improvement is immediate but more often, several treatments may be required to move the body towards healing. In general, the recovery time is shorter the closer to the time of the car accident you are treated, so obtaining an appointment immediately is wise. We can also show you methods of exercising the neck at home between treatments, which also speeds up the recovery time.

If you, a family member or a friend require care, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our service. Being involved in a car accident can be a scary thing, and we appreciate everything that you are going through. We are proud that chiropractic care has consistently scored the highest level of satisfaction when compared to other forms of health care provision and we look forward in serving you and your family presently and in the future.

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