Why You Should Call Your Portland Chiropractor Immediately After a Car Accident

Riding in cars has become a natural part of our lives. However, even a minor fender bender puts our bodies through enough trauma to face injury. It's common for people to walk away from car accidents unaware of the pain they may be facing until several days later when they are unable to turn their neck to the side.

No matter how small the accident, the fast movement is a lot of force for your body to undergo. No one plans for an accident, let alone needing care. It is normal to feel you do not have time in your schedule to deal with the aftermath. However, the sooner you seek out care, the fewer problems you may face. If your symptoms worsen, disrupting your life, that can have a lot more impact on your schedule than seeking out health care as soon as possible. This is why it's recommended you call to make an appointment with a Portland chiropractor as part of your routine for immediately following an accident.

Common Injuries After a Car Accident in Portland

One of the most common injuries after a car accident that people hear a lot about is whiplash.

What is whiplash? Your cervical spine includes seven small interlocking bones in your neck. During a car accident, your neck often moves abruptly backward and then forward. This moves your spine in a motion like a whip. When this happens, it is common for your vertebrae (the small interlocking bones) to come out of their natural alignment. When your spinal column isn't properly aligned, the vertebrae can irritate surrounding nerves and otherwise affect your health. This can lead to a lot of different symptoms. It can result in pain and stiffness in the neck, arm, shoulders, and back. It can also lead to vertigo, dizziness, headaches, difficulty sleeping, and difficulty focusing.

It's also common following a car accident for your spinal column to become misaligned in your back, for your muscles to be surprisingly stiff or tender, and for you to overall just "feel crummy".

A lot of people think that since you can expect to feel terrible after even a small car accident, this means they should simply tough out the symptoms. That waiting for a few days will make everything go away. Unfortunately, this is not a great plan. If you are suffering from an injury, waiting it out can make the issue grow worse instead of better.

Chiropractic Care After an Auto Accident

Your Portland chiropractor will perform a thorough exam. They will ask you about what you remember from the accident. This will help them to diagnose any problems that may be coming.

They will also likely perform gentle spinal manipulation. There are 24 interlocking vertebrae in your spinal column. During a car accident, it's likely that one of these will have come out of its natural alignment. To help you avoid future issues, your chiropractor will check your spinal column for alignment issues and then gently manipulate any vertebrae that are out of place. If you are stiff or in pain, this will provide immediate relief and help you avoid pain later.

If you are already noticing some symptoms, your chiropractor can also talk to you about at-home activities that will alleviate symptoms, like specific exercises that will address the problems you're facing and ice therapy for inflammation.

It's important to ask as many questions and share as much information about your symptoms with your chiropractor as possible so they can work to investigate the causes of any issues and address them.

By calling North Portland Wellness Group right away, you can keep your health in optimal condition, even with the inconveniences and stress of a car accident.