After a car crash, most people are often left in too much shock to focus on their health. That is especially common in the case of a minor accident where most of the victims tend to assume they are doing fine. According to findings by various research bodies, most people involved in minor crashes only care about informing their insurance company, but most of them never bother to seek medical care. Unfortunately, the human body is quite fragile, and even a minor accident can cause severe, life-threatening damages which may worsen if the victim does not seek medical attention and not from their family doctor but a chiropractor. Below are some more reasons to see a chiropractor after an auto accident.
Who is a chiropractor?
Before we dive into the reasons why a person should see a chiropractor after an auto accident, it is essential that you understand who he/she is. A Chiropractor is a healthcare personnel who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of neuromuscular disorders using hands-on spinal manipulation skills as an alternative to medication and surgery.
Reasons to see a chiropractor after an auto accident
Not all injuries are evident at first
After a minor or major crash, most people tell themselves that they will be fine after a few days. For instance, most people who get involved in a severe accident and manage to escape without any injuries while other passengers get severe injuries tend to compare themselves with the other victims and assume that they are okay. They say to themselves “at least I can walk and am not as hurt as him/her so in a few days I’ll be good. “Unfortunately injuries do not always reveal themselves at first. For instance, whiplash injuries may even take two days before you can finally begin to feel the aches and pains. They cause blurred vision, headaches, a stiff neck, dizziness, nervousness, difficulty in sleeping and even depression. What’s even worse is that internal injuries are more severe in comparison to the visible ones so a car crash victim who seems okay on the outside may have worse lesions in contrast to all the others. Visiting a chiropractor is one of the most effective ways to control the damage which might come as a result of whiplash or any other injuries which you might have before it’s too late. That is the first reason to see a chiropractor after an auto accident no matter how minor it was.
Prevents chronic issues
An ignored injury could do more harm than you think. Reason being the longer you wait, the more difficult it becomes to treat and also the more it affects the body organs. The body is structured in such a way that each organ whether minor or major supports the other in achieving its function and keeps you healthy. That means if one is unable to perform its function efficiently it affects others, and that might lead to chronic conditions. Ignoring a back injury might lead to long-term pain and even affect other limbs causing you not to work as comfortably as you used to do before. So don’t wait until it’s too late to turn back visit a chiropractor as soon as the accident happens so that any problem can be tackled before it worsens.
Does not use invasive medication
Another reason why most people shy away from seeking medical attention after an auto accident is that they often fear that they will receive expensive prescriptions or even worse a surgery. Fortunately, that does not apply in the case of a chiropractor. As shown in our definition of who a chiropractor is, these specialists only offer hands-on spinal treatments as a substitute for surgery or other invasive forms of medication. Through their skills, they help strengthen torn muscles, increase blood flow and promote healing without the use of painkillers or any other prescriptions. Additionally, this form of healthcare is ideal for all individuals whether young, old or even pregnant as it has no side effects or addictive elements and neither does it require patients to nurse any surgical wounds. Thus another reason to see a chiropractor after an auto car accident is because it is more recommendable and promotes natural healing.
Address the cause not the symptom
After an accident, your family or any other medical doctor will offer you pain relievers to help ease the pain. Yes, that will help as it will make you feel better temporarily but it will not address the primary cause of pain. A chiropractor deals with the cause of the pain directly through physical and massage therapies which ensure your body is restored to its healthy state so that you don’t develop any complications in future.
It will help strengthen your claim
As mentioned earlier, most injuries do not always reveal themselves immediately, and whiplashes will take even 49 hours before the symptoms can start showing. The longer you wait before you seek medical attention from a chiropractor the harder it becomes for you to link your injuries to the accident. Most insurance companies will assume that you got them from other experiences which mean that you will encounter a double loss. That is from covering the therapies from your pocket and also the premiums which you’ve been paying all along will not have helped you. By seeking immediate diagnosis, you will get records from your chiropractor which will not only act as evidence to the insurance company but will also help you get a reasonable settlement and strengthen your case if you decide to take things to court.
Conclusion
There is a long list of reasons to see a chiropractor after an auto accident, but the above are the primary ones. Seeking immediate diagnosis and treatment from these specialists after you are involved in a crash will not only help prevent long life conditions but will also help you save money because some insurance covers often cover for medication in case the risk takes place. Additionally, chiropractors use non-invasive methods to treat you which are not only more efficient but also do not expose you to the risk of side effects, surgical wounds or addiction to pain medication.