Car Accident? You Should be Examined!

There are more than 3 million rear end auto accidents every year in the United States and out of those accidents nearly 50% of the injured people will continue to suffer from pain 2 years after the incident. The most common injury in rear end collisions is whiplash. The team at Wise Chiropractic is experienced in treating various types of auto injuries, whiplash, back injuries and a variety of other personal injuries.

A whiplash injury from an automobile accident is called a cervical acceleration-deceleration injury (CAD). Cadaver studies have shown that as an automobile occupant is hit from behind, the forces from the seat back compress the kyphosis of the thoracic spine, which provides an axial load on the lumbar spine and cervical spine. This forces the cervical spine to deform into an S-shape where the lower cervical spine is forced into a kyphosis while the upper cervical spine maintains its lordosis. As the injury progresses, the whole cervical spine is finally hyper-extended.

The damage from a whiplash accident injury can be very severe and may include fractured bones, torn ligaments and muscles, disc herniations, nerve damage and/or vascular damage. Often times, it can take weeks or even months for all of the symptoms of an automobile accident to fully manifest. In addition, depending on the severity of the injuries sustained in an accident, recovery and rehabilitation can be a very long and arduous process.

The traditional treatment of whiplash accident injuries and other soft tissue injuries has been to immobilize or brace the area for an extended period of time. Recent research has shown that a more active rehabilitative approach, including stretching/strengthening exercises, and joint mobilization all significantly speed up the recovery time of a whiplash accident injury. All of these treatments and more are provided at Wise Chiropractic.

The management of an automobile accident injury case is critical. For this reason, it is important that you seek the care of a chiropractor that is skilled in treating automobile accident related conditions. A good chiropractor will be able to order the necessary x-rays, MRIs, nerve tests, or other procedures needed to properly manage an accident case. Proper documentation of symptoms, ordering the needed diagnostic testing, and referring out to a specialist when medically necessary can make a profound difference in the outcome of a case.

Our chiropractor, Dr. Jonathan Wise has advanced training in the treatment of motor vehicle accident related injuries. Dr. Wise is a Whiplash Injury Biomechanics and Brain Injury Traumatology Graduate through the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.