Auto accident injury – 3 reasons you should consider chiropractic care.
For those who have suffered injury from an auto accident, choosing what type of care can be confusing and frustrating. On one hand they are told that it is just a muscle strain and it will go away or they are doped up with heavy duty medication that makes them feel weird and tired.
One treatment option to consider for your injury care is chiropractic. For years, injury victims have been finding relief for their pain by taking advantage of this natural, drug free approach to injury treatment. Below is a summary list of the reasons to consider chiropractic care. Scroll down to read the details.
- Research demonstrates it is the most effective care for neck injury
- There are no drug side affects
- It treats the cause and not just the symptoms
1. Research demonstrates it is the most effective care for neck injury
The research is simple: chiropractic works for neck injury. There are several studies indicating that chiropractic spinal adjusting is more effective that even surgery.
One study demonstrated a 93% effectiveness (1) and another demonstrated a 74% effectiveness (2). Why not go with what’s proven to be effective?
2. There are no drug side affects
All medication has side affects, some more serious than others. The common medication prescribed for auto injury victims include a muscle relaxer, pain “reliever” and ibuprofen or NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), each however has its detrimental side affects.
- Muscle relaxers and pain meds typically cause a drowsiness and make it hard to focus and dangerous to operate cars, machinery or perform intricate detailed work.
Ibuprofen has been shown to slow the healing process of injury to muscles and ligaments. Even as little as 4 days’ usage it has been shown to reduce the healing capabilities of muscle by 40%! (3) Another study demonstrated that at days 3, 7 and 14 NSAID treated ligaments demonstrated greater instability! (4). Since a significant part of the injury involves ligaments and muscles, NSAID’s like Ibuprofen are actually working against your bodies healing process!
Since chiropractic a natural healthcare process, there are no side affects it relies on the natural healing capabilities of your body.
3. It treats the cause and not just the symptoms
The common medical approach is that it is a simple strain or sprain to the muscles of your neck or back. While there may be a strain or sprain, typically there is more involved than that.
In most instances, there is injury to the little joints in the neck called facet joints. These are responsible for the movement or flexibility of the neck. When injured they become inflamed, stiff and limited in their normal motion: essentially stuck! Unfortunately, muscle relaxer or pain meds do not restore the normal motion of these joints.
The main form of treatment of chiropractic is called an adjustment. This procedure is performed by the doctor’s hands or an instrument to apply a painless, gentle force to the injured joint with the purpose of restoring the normal mobility. As the joint motion is gradually restored, the inflammation subsides resulting in diminished pain and stiffness.
Further, when muscles and ligaments are injured, they work through a very complex repair process. If not managed correctly, this can create a large deposit of scar tissue in the injured joint resulting in a permanent stiff and painful joint. Chiropractic adjustments maintain the mobility while the tissue repairs itself and is the best means to ensure the most flexible joint as possible.
Proven effectiveness in treating the cause of your auto injury with out drug side affects are just some of the significant reasons to consider chiropractic care.
Since graduating in 1984, Dr. Schmaltz has years of training and experience treating auto injury victims. He has been part of the largest chiropractic clinic in the southeast focusing on helping the injured. He is qualified and has testified as an expert witness for injury cases and he is known in the St Louis area among attorneys has having excellent detailed documentation of his patient’s injuries.
To find out more about how chiropractic can help your auto injury, call Dr. Martin Schmaltz at (314) 731-4383 or CLICK TO CALL and schedule an appointment.
(1) Woodward MN, Cook JCH, Gargan MF, and Bannister GC. Chiropractic treatment of chronic ‘whiplash’ injuries; Injury; Volume 27, Issue 9, November 1996, pp 643-645.
(2) Khan S, Cook J, Gargan M, Bannister G. A symptomatic classification of whiplash injury and the implications for treatment; The Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine 21(1) 1999, 22-25.
(3) Greene, J. Cost-conscious prescribing of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for adults with arthritis. Archives of Internal Medicine. 1992; 152:1995-2002.