Auto Accident: The Wait And See Attitude Can Cost You!

Don’t Wait To Start Care After An Auto Accident!

When someone is involved in a car accident, it is common for many to “just wait and see” how they feel before the start treatment. This can be a serious mistake.

Research has shown that the sooner a patient starts care after an injury, they do better than those who have the “wait and see” approach.

During a collision, the muscles and ligaments of the neck can be stretched or suffer microscopic tears. There may not be pain immediately, but once the inflammation and swelling builds up, many wake up in following days with severe pain and stiffness.

This pain and stiffness are signs that there has been injury to the supporting muscles or ligaments of the spine. Our body responds in a protective mode by muscle spasm to restrict the motion of the damaged joints or ligaments. Further, the body sends white blood cells to the damaged tissue to begin the repair process. The unfortunate aspect of the repair process is that it involves scar tissue as well as normal tissue.

It is this repair with scar tissue that becomes the problem for those who wait to start care. Scar tissue is less elastic than normal tissue and contains more nerve fibers. If not managed properly, this scar tissue further restricts or limits the normal motion of the joints in the neck.

Because there are more nerve fibers, not only is the there limited motion, it is painful every time the scar tissue is stretched. The best way to prevent or limit this is chiropractic care.

Early chiropractic treatment for neck injuries helps to limit the amount of scar tissue that develops and helps to maintain the normal mobility of the joints while the tissue repairs. Chiropractic care has been shown to be one if not the most effective form of treatment for injuries like those suffered in an auto accident.

If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, call us immediately (314) 731-4383! Time is not your friend in this case! We can work with you on an effective treatment program.