Chiropractic treatment is often recommended after a car accident because it may help bring the spine back into proper alignment after whiplash or other accident-related injuries. If you have recently been involved in a car accident and experience discomfort because of your injuries, receiving care from a chiropractor could be beneficial to you. Here are five benefits you could potentially receive by visiting a chiropractor after a car accident.
Benefits of post-accident chiropractic treatments
1. Reduce inflammation
Inflammation is a common consequence of physical injury. While some amount of inflammation is normal and indicates your body’s attempts to heal itself, too much can be harmful to your tissues and can cause discomfort. When a chiropractor manipulates your spine to realign the spinal cord, your body may respond by cutting back on its inflammatory cytokine production, which can lower the inflammatory response in your body and reduce pain.
Inflammatory back pain presents in different ways than mechanical back pain. Symptoms of excessive inflammation in the spine include stiffness and pain that increases after periods of inactivity. If your back pain is due to inflammation, you will most likely feel the most pain when you first wake in the morning.
2. Minimize pain
When you receive chiropractic adjustments after a car accident, you can potentially minimize pain throughout your body. During spinal manipulations conducted by a chiropractor, your body naturally releases pain-relieving hormones. A study conducted by The University of Spain showed that levels of oxytocin, neurotensin and cortisol in the blood stream increased in test subjects after spinal manipulation.
Seeking chiropractic care after a care accident should be done for all involved
3. Restore range of motion
When you are injured in a car accident, your neck or back can lose flexibility. Loss of flexibility can be due to misalignment of the joints in the spine, development of scar tissue and/or inflammation. A chiropractic adjustment can restore range of motion by mobilizing your spine and returning the joints to proper alignment.
4. Reduce scar tissue
It is normal for scar tissue to develop after a car accident injury. When muscles or tendons are damaged, the body attempts to heal them by forming scar tissue from collagen. Unfortunately, scar tissue can cause long-term pain and stiffness. In many cases, the tissue will heal on its own and eventually function like normal tissue. However, if it is causing you discomfort, a chiropractor can use specific techniques to break the scar tissue up so the area can heal faster.
5. Experience non-invasive treatment
Most people want to avoid surgery after a car accident if possible. However, if you wait too long to treat your injuries, surgery could end up being your only option. Chiropractic treatments are non-invasive and align the spine without surgical intervention. If you visit a chiropractor for treatment soon after your injury, you may reduce your chances of requiring surgery in the future.
Conclusion
Chiropractors use a variety of tools and techniques to realign individual vertebrae and restore joint flexibility after a car accident. Benefits of spinal manipulation and other services offered by doctors of chiropractic include decreased inflammation and pain, restored range of motion and reduced scar tissue.
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