How A Chiropractor Can Help Your Pain After An Auto Accident

An auto accident can leave you with pain in your neck, back, or other parts of your body even if you don't have broken bones or deep cuts. The sudden jarring of your spine and muscles can cause misalignment, swelling, and strain that takes a long time to heal. Getting help from a chiropractor, like those at ChiroTime Clinics, soon after the accident might speed your healing and help you avoid issues with chronic pain. Here are some ways a chiropractor can help you after an auto accident.

Spinal Adjustments

If you're having intense back pain, you may need to wait to have chiropractic adjustments on your back that use forceful thrusts. Instead, the chiropractor may use gentle movements to help open and align your spine to relieve pressure that causes pain. Back pain can be caused by damage to your spine, and it can also be caused by swelling or damage to tissues around the spine. Your chiropractor will assess the condition of your back and determine the right treatments that are safe to begin right away and then alter your treatment as you heal.

Muscle Balancing

When your back hurts after an accident, you'll probably carry your body differently to accommodate the pain. Certain movements might hurt more, so you'll do fewer movements that involve full range of motion of your core. You may even become sedentary or treat your pain with bed rest. These actions can slow down your healing because they can make your muscles weak. Combine weak muscles with swelling or misalignment that adds strain, and your muscles can become imbalanced.

It could be due to loss of muscle strength or less flexibility on one side of your back or trunk. Your chiropractor will work to correct this situation or prevent it if possible because imbalanced muscles can make your back pain worse. You might be taught stretching movements or strengthening exercises that target the affected muscles so your spine is stabilized with even support.

Pain Relief

A chiropractor has different techniques for pain relief. You might find relief after each spinal manipulation. Pain relief might happen gradually as your spine and muscles are coaxed into proper alignment, balance, and healing. Shortly after the accident, the chiropractor might use heat, cold therapy, or ultrasound therapy to reduce pain.

It's always best to see a chiropractor soon after your auto accident, but if you delay and the pain becomes chronic, a chiropractor can still help. The treatments are tailored to your individual situation so you get the best results and most effective treatments that help your body heal itself.