Car Accident Chiropractor in Atascadero

Many people will seek out chiropractic care in Atascadero after having an auto injury. Whether you’ve been in a high-speed auto accident or a fender bender on the streets of Atascadero, auto accidents put an incredible amount of stress on the body and spine. Head and neck conditions are the most common type of accident injury, but damage to ligaments and other soft tissues is common as well.

It’s important to understand that auto injuries often involve a delayed onset of symptoms which commonly surface weeks and even months post-accident. That’s why it is highly recommended that you visit a chiropractor as soon as possible after a crash. The sooner we can identify underlying (or not so underlying) injuries, the better off you will be.

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Whiplash in Atascadero

When the neck is whipped from back to front during a car accident, while playing contact sports such as football, or occasionally from an assault or other physical trauma, a number of things can happen to the spine and surrounding soft tissue. Whiplash describes the initial impact, but the results can include:

• Disc bulges and herniation
• Subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine),
• Injured bones in the spine,
• Irritated and damaged nerves
• Pulled ligaments and muscles in the neck

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What are the Symptoms of Whiplash?

Whiplash injuries can range from mild to very severe. Injuries tend to be more significant when your headrest is positioned too low. If the impact was quite severe or the headrest was low there is the possibility that bones are broken or tissue is damaged. It is highly recommended that you see a chiropractor and receive a thorough examination and x-rays. Getting checked ASAP is important, even if the impact seemed mild, you may have whiplash if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Neck pain
• Shoulder, upper back, and arm pain
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Pain when turning the head
• Inability to move or turn the head fully
• Dizziness
• Tiredness
• Numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, and fingers
• Ringing in the ears
• Difficulty sleeping
• Depression

As you can see there are a wide range of symptoms and not all of them may be immediately traceable to whiplash. Even if you have been cleared by a doctor, your pain could still be related to whiplash and you may need treatment to correct the problem. If you have recently been injured it's important to get your spine checked as soon as possible. The sooner that you start treating the issue the less chance you have of it developing into a long-term problem.

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Chiropractic Care for Car accidents

Because the majority of whiplash incidents impact the spine and the surrounding nerves and tissues, chiropractic care is an excellent avenue for treatment. Chiropractic doctors are skilled in assessing the source of the pain associated with a whiplash injury and determining a plan for effective treatment. Chiropractic treatments are gentle and non-invasive. Through small adjustments, people find great relief from the pain associated with whiplash and are set on the road to full recovery. Call our team at Hart Family Chiropractic to discover how chiropractic care can help you recover from whiplash. Hart Family Chiropractic offers chiropractic care to major and minor car accident patients regularly, and we fully evaluate and care for each patient to ensure that small injuries today don’t become bigger injuries down the road.