One of the first things you might do after being in an accident is see a doctor. In fact, you may be given an exam by emergency medical personnel at the scene of the accident if it was fairly severe. You may also be taken to the ER right away. If you’re not, you do need to make an appointment with your primary care physician as soon as possible. There is often pain that goes undetected following an accident, so it’s important that you are examined and diagnosed for insurance purposes.
But while doctors can certainly help with many types of pain and provide a diagnosis for a wide range of injuries, they are often not experts on the back and neck. Chiropractors are. They have extensively studied this area of the body and understand how the bones, muscles, tendons, joints, and other parts all work together. They can often tell when something very minor is wrong, while a doctor may not recognize the signs. But when should you see a chiropractor?
When You’re in an Accident
Have you been in an accident? It doesn’t matter how minor or severe it was, you should seek medical attention. If you’re thinking about seeing an accident and injury chiropractic Glendale residents are advised to do so within a couple of weeks of the accident. That’s because you need to be examined and have your injuries documented as soon as possible for your insurance company and in the event you have to go to court to be compensated. If you wait too long, it’s possible others may excuse your injuries by saying that they were the result of some other event.
You also need to see a chiropractor as soon as possible to treat any damage that could result in a chronic condition. Often, these conditions can be completely prevented if they’re dealt with quickly. If you wait too long, you may have pain flare-ups for the rest of your life that no type of treatment will completely cure.
You Feel Pain When Looking Over Your Shoulder
While driving, you may need to turn your head to look back over your shoulder. This is also often the case when backing up. If you find that you can’t do this without pain or that your neck simply won’t turn that far, you need to seek help. Many people who are in minor car accidents don’t think that they’ve been hurt. However, several days later they find that they can’t turn their head without pain. Sometimes it is so severe that they have lost some of their range of motion.
This is a sign that you need to quickly see an accident and injury chiropractic phoenix expert. Something is definitely wrong with your neck, and you need to have it diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible. In addition to being in pain, you’re also putting yourself at risk while driving. Without being able to turn your head to look behind you, you could be in an accident. You could also cause further damage by trying to turn your head quickly. While you may do your best not to do this, you might instinctively do so before you can stop yourself.
Pain Develops a Few Days or Weeks after an Accident
If you start to feel pain in your neck after an accident, even if it’s several weeks later, see an accident and injury chiropractic Phoenix professional as soon as possible. Damage from car accidents, especially from whiplash, doesn’t always show up right away. In fact, sometimes it takes quite some time before it becomes apparent. This is especially true if you were given pain medication by your doctor or if you’ve been taking some over-the-counter medication for a few days. This medication can mask the signs of neck injury.
Some people simply assume that the pain in their neck was caused by something else. This is especially true if it’s been several weeks or even a month since their accident. However, the root cause could still have been the car crash. You may have done something to aggravate the injury enough that it has become more painful, though. Even if it turns out that’s not the case, you should still see a chiropractor so you’re not in pain.
You’ve Been in Accidents or had Neck Injuries Before
If you have had to see an accident and injury chiropractic Glendale professional before, you should always get examined after any car accident. Often, injured areas in the back and neck, even if they are no longer painful, can more easily be damaged in car accidents. You don’t want an old injury being aggravated due to an accident, so seek treatment as soon as you can. Your chiropractor will also be able to evaluate any new damage, which your insurance company will need to know about.