chiropractic care after auto accident

6 Common Auto Accident Injuries and How They Are Treated

Posted on January 22, 2021February 17, 2021 by admin

Common Car Accident Injuries

Injuries from motor-vehicle accidents range considerably. Please find a list of common problems and their treatment courses below. Please do not attempt treatment yourself — seek immediate medical attention for any of these conditions.

1. Scrapes, Cuts, and Burns

Skin and tissue injuries are most common in serious high-impact collisions. They often come in the form of abrasions, puncture wounds, or lacerations. Burns may also be an issue in extreme cases. Treatments may include:

First aid
Suture
Bandaging
Skin graft

2. Limb Joint Injuries

Car accidents may result in various injuries to the joints and connective tissues of the legs and arms. Diagnosing these injuries may sometimes require imaging, such as X-rays or MRI scans. Depending on the site, these issues could reduce mobility, dexterity, and other important physical skills. To obtain the most complete recovery possible, patients often must depend on a mix of treatments that manage pain, strengthen the body, and improve the underlying condition:

Chiropractic care
Physiotherapy
Joint injections
Interferential current therapy

3. Skeletal Injuries

Broken bones are relatively common in high-speed collisions. These conditions could require:

X-ray, MRI, or CAT scans
Immobilization, such as a cast or sling
Nutritional supplements
Orthopedic hardware

4. Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury caused by the violent back-and-forth movement the head experiences during a collision. This injury can occur at low speeds — especially when airbags do not deploy and especially in rear-end impacts. Common courses of action regarding whiplash include:

Chiropractic diagnosis, monitoring, and care
Physiotherapy
Joint injections for persistent or severe cases

5. Traumatic Brain Injury

Any time that a skull-impact or a whiplash event happens, there is a chance for traumatic brain injury. These injuries range in severity and symptoms. Severe cases often involve a loss of consciousness; emergency room doctors and specialists usually treat moderate-to-significant TBI. Milder injuries may call for:

Rest from work or other physical and mental exertion
Professional monitoring (follow-up appointments)

6. Chronic Pain

Even after initial courses of treatment are complete, it is relatively common for patients to experience chronic pain following an auto accident. This could mean that there are still joint, muscle, or ligament issues that should be addressed. Treatment for chronic pain could include:

Trigger point injections
Joint injections
Chiropractic care
Activity and nutritional changes
Physiotherapy
Electrical stimulation therapies

A Note on Prescription Painkillers

Prescription painkillers are prescribed widely for patients with accident injuries. This option is problematic because it does not improve the underlying condition in most cases. However, in certain cases — such as severe burns — the use of short-term pain medication as directed by a medical professional may be an appropriate part of a larger recovery plan.

You may have noticed that none of these injuries have quick fixes. Recovery is a journey of strengthening the body and removing the cause of the injury — not just reducing symptoms. To learn more, please contact us directly or schedule an appointment today for treatment of pain after a car accident.

Chiropractor Treatments and Procedures for Car Accident Injuries: What To Expect

Posted on January 22, 2021January 22, 2021 by admin

Chiropractic care after your auto injury will depend on exactly how you are hurt. At PhysMED, we focus on treating the injury itself — as opposed to only addressing your symptoms. That means you will not receive addictive, dangerous painkiller drugs.

Instead of prescribing medication, we look at your injury, look at you as a person, and your overall level of health. Our goal is to put you in the best possible position for a quick recovery and a healthy, active life going forward.

Your recommended chiropractic procedures and techniques will depend on the state of your injury. At PhysMED, our doctors focus on three (3) stages of recovery. We accept new patients in any of these stages:

Stage 1: Acute pain relief
Stage 2: Correcting underlying injuries
Stage 3: Maintaining health and movement, and avoiding future injuries

Stage 1 Treatments

The first stage of treatment happens right after your car accident. You and your physician will work together to reduce inflammation and other causes of joint pain from your injury. This is when you will probably see the most rapid improvement.

Before meeting with you, your doctor will review your complete medical history. Then, you might expect some or all the following chiropractic procedures in stage 1:

A brief interview to understand your symptoms
Palpation, in which your doctor lightly presses areas of your body with fingertips or specialized instruments to locate and diagnose injuries
Analysis of your posture and range of motion, possibly with the aid of specialized devices
Simple assisted and individual exercises, activities, and stretches
Adjustment or chiropractic manipulation
Trigger point or joint injections
Electrical muscle stimulation
Spinal decompression

Stage 2 Treatments

The second stage — corrective therapy — works to correct issues that could contribute to your condition or put you at risk for further injury. You might continue some of the treatments from in stage 1. In addition, we might suggest any of the following:

Posture or walking corrections
Moderate flexibility, balance, and motor-skills exercises
Occupational or lifestyle habit adjustments

Stage 3 Treatments

During the third stage of treatment, we focus on comfort, prevention, and overall wellness. You might continue some of the treatments from the previous two stages, although probably less frequently.

You will also probably learn more advanced exercises to expand your level of mobility — rather than simply regain it. In general, we work with you to prevent future injuries, increase your resilience, reduce or eliminate chronic pain, and promote your overall health.

Get Started Today

Please call us if you have an injury from a car crash, and it is not an emergency situation. PhysMED is registered under Florida law to act as an initial healthcare provider for insurance purposes, and we are prepared to guide you towards any treatments you need — chiropractic or otherwise — to recover as fully as possible from your accident.

We are here to help you through every stage of your recovery. Contact us today to make an initial appointment.

Back Pain and Car Accident Injuries

Posted on January 22, 2021January 22, 2021 by admin

Car Accident Injuries

Back pain is a common result of car accident injuries. It can often be treated by chiropractic care, physical therapy, and various other techniques. The duration of back pain depends on the injury, as does the best treatment recommendation. Therefore, anyone who experiences these symptoms after being in a car crash should seek prompt medical attention.

What Part of the Back Causes Pain After a Car Accident?

People can experience pain throughout their backs after a crash, depending on the injuries they receive. The two most common types of injuries are:

Disc and spine injuries
Damage or stress to connective tissues

Pain from disc injuries often appears in the lower, lumbar spine. It could feel like a dull ache, a sharp pinch, shooting electrical-shock pain, or even pain to other areas of the body.

Whiplash — the fast, back-and-forth motion of the head during a car accident — often results in connective-tissue damage. The resulting pain is often concentrated around the neck, head, arms, and upper back. Depending on the case, whiplash could also result in spinal trauma.

Can a Minor Car Accident Injure Your Back?

Anyone who even suspects they might have an injury should seek medical attention promptly after a car accident.

Car accidents may be common, but none are minor. The forces involved are nearly always far stronger than what the human body is designed to handle. Those who do not receive injuries in low-speed fender-benders are the lucky ones.

How Long Does Back Pain Last After a Car Accident?

The duration of back pain after a crash depends most on the underlying injuries. For example, pain from moderate disc trauma tends to last longer than whiplash pain.

Other factors in pain duration include treatment — such as exercise, physical therapy, and chiropractic care as well as lifestyle and general health. It is important to take every factor into consideration and make necessary changes for the fastest recovery possible.

How Long do you Have to Seek Medical Attention After a Car Accident?

Prompt medical attention is critical to identify problems, reduce the risk of complications, and speed recovery. Anyone involved in an event as traumatic as a car accident should seek a professional opinion as soon as possible.

In Florida, there could also be legal and insurance considerations. Those injured in an accident must seek care from a medical provider within 14 days of the injury to qualify for benefits under their personal injury protection policies, in most cases.

What Happens if my Pain was Delayed After a Crash?

Injuries from car accidents could display delayed symptoms. Some also could result in minor symptoms, which become worse a day or two later. The most important thing is to seek treatment as soon as there is any suspicion of an injury — this should help start recovery and avoid unnecessary suffering.

Please call us and make an appointment at PhysMED today at 941=203-1482 for chiropractic treatment for your back pain. The first steps are simple: We talk about your situation, analyze your physical condition, discuss treatment goals, and provide some case-appropriate advice.

5 Reasons You Should See a Chiropractor – Regardless of the Presence of Pain or Visible Injuries

Posted on November 17, 2020November 30, 2020 by admin

We understand: Some people just don’t like going to the doctor. However, you should see a chiropractor immediately after any type of car accident. Please make an appointment as soon as possible. Ideally, we would like to see you within a day or two of your collision. This helps us get a head start on any pain that might develop.

Our first steps are simple: analyze your condition, listen to what happened, and make suggestions to reduce your risk of developing symptoms. Here are some more reasons you should make that appointment right now — even if you’re not in pain.

1. It Puts Your Mind at Ease

At PhysMED, we provide a caring, no-pressure environment as part of promoting overall, long-term health. We provide face-to-face time with healthcare professionals that you need to understand your condition. If necessary, our customized treatment plans will be clear and easy to follow — and you can usually start right away.

2. It Gives You a Health Baseline

One of our most important jobs is understanding your initial health levels right after your car accident. We assess your pain levels, your emotional state, and other important health metrics.

If your condition changes, we can use this data to track the progress of your injuries. If not, we can use it as an important entry in your general medical history.

3. Injuries Do Not Always Show Immediate Symptoms

Some injuries from car accidents do not show symptoms right away. Some injuries start out as a minor change and get progressively worse over an extended period. The sooner you start chiropractic treatment, the better your end result is likely to be.

It’s also extremely important to narrow down the possible injuries before selecting your treatment. Before you ice, heat, immobilize, stretch or otherwise attempt to relieve or prevent discomfort, please see a chiropractor.

4. It Helps With Florida PIP Claims

Florida requires its drivers to carry no-fault insurance. You have 14 days to seek medical attention if you want to claim benefits under your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy. Chiropractors count as approved medical providers for this program.

5. It Can’t Hurt

Chiropractic medicine is based on treating the whole body. We focus on removing or treating the underlying causes of symptoms, rather than just relieving the symptoms themselves.

Chiropractors start with analysis and observation. This process is drug-free and non-invasive. We will listen to you, observe your range of motion and review the statements you make about your pain levels. From there, we will develop a plan to establish long-term, sustainable practices that promote your wellbeing.

Seeing a chiropractor is an important first step after a car accident. Even if there’s no pain, please schedule an appointment today.

How Can a Chiropractor Help You Recover Faster After Your Car Accident?

Posted on October 16, 2020November 17, 2020 by admin

Chiropractic care is one of the leading treatments for injuries from auto accidents. As chiropractors, we help patients improve and manage their conditions at every stage of their recovery process. In general, chiropractors help you recover faster after a car accident in these ways:

Assessing your condition
Providing immediate care
Supporting improvement
Maintaining health and comfort levels

In general, chiropractors help you recover faster because our treatments focus on solving underlying problems. We also guide you towards better overall wellness – letting the natural resilience of the human body accelerate healing.

Timely Assessment

The core of a successful chiropractic treatment plan is the personal assessment by the chiropractor. Please come in as soon as possible after your car accident – even if you think your symptoms are not severe.

This initial meeting helps us establish your basic level of health and the extent of your injuries after your car accident. This allows us to track your wellness throughout your recovery. We also typically make our initial diagnosis, recommend some treatments, and help you navigate the Florida PIP insurance process.

Immediate Relief

Many of your most troubling symptoms — pain, reduced mobility, and more — could be your body telling you your joints are in danger. This is a scary feeling, but the fear often disappears once you understand why you feel the discomfort.

We help you understand the meaning of the different types of symptoms you experience after a car crash. In many cases, we recommend medical procedures as early as the first appointment to start reducing pain and restoring motion in a safe, sustainable way.

Focus on Improvement

Lingering pain, persistent stiffness, loss of motion, and other chronic results of car crashes often come from a focus on symptom reduction. Therefore, we avoid addictive, sometimes-dangerous pharmaceuticals – such as prescription opioid painkillers.

Instead of possibly creating lifelong dependencies on medication, we prefer medical techniques that improve joint health, restore range of motion, promote healthy skeletal alignment, and permanently or persistently reduce the cause of painful inflammation. The principle is simple: Symptoms typically reduce in intensity or disappear once their causes are removed.

Maintain Health

Chiropractic care helps you recover quickly because our goal is a healthy, active post-accident life. We work alongside you as you recover from the immediate effects of your injury, make positive lifestyle changes, and manage any chronic discomfort you may have. Every step moves toward your best possible outcome.

Chiropractic treatments have consistently positive outcomes without invasive surgical procedures or dangerous drugs. We would urge anyone experiencing any type of change in condition after a car crash in Florida to make an appointment at PhysMED. The sooner you start, the sooner you can get back on track to the best possible post-accident health level.

Whiplash and Medical Treatment – What you Need to Know

Posted on June 25, 2020January 22, 2021 by admin

After an auto accident, you’ll need medical treatment — especially for joint and soft-tissue injuries to your neck. Chiropractic care is a safe, non-invasive way to diagnose these types of injuries, manage your pain, and address the underlying problems causing your condition. That is an impressive range of treatment goals to advance through a single form of therapy.

Many patients find chiropractic care manageable and accessible. Please read on for a deeper explanation of some of the functions it serves to treat whiplash.

Treating Injuries

Chiropractic care seeks to treat the causes of your injuries. You might think this goes without saying. Unfortunately, many forms of treatment cannot claim the same.

It is true that some symptom treatments — such as prescription painkillers — may provide temporary relief. At best, these are addictive stopgap measures with dangerous side effects. At worst, the lack of pain as a natural warning sign could lead to complications and further injuries.

At PhysMED, we commit to practices that safely manage whiplash pain and promote true recovery. The adaptability of chiropractic care and its high positive outcome rate makes it a perfect fit for this philosophy.

Building Confidence

Part of your doctor’s role in treating your whiplash after an auto accident will be to help you get over your fear. Fear is a natural reaction to whiplash. Everyone worries that high levels of pain could indicate injuries are getting worse. Everyone worries that certain types of motion — especially those that generate discomfort — could be dangerous.

We help you conquer this fear and doubt so you can move forward with confidence. To make sure your treatment remains safe and positive, we also listen to how you feel every step of the way during your whiplash treatment.

Fostering Understanding

At PhysMED, we recognize it is difficult to recover when you lack a full picture of your medical condition. Our job is to help you understand the complex nature of your whiplash injuries.

In fact, chiropractic care is inherently educational. Nearly every patient learns something about subjects related to recovery; such as anatomy, biokinetics, and lifestyle health. We take the time to teach you not only what you need to do to recover, but also how and why these practices help over the long term.

Charting Progress

One of the things our doctor’s value most as at PhysMED is the opportunity to be a part of real, positive change in our patients’ lives. You will get to see the change as well. An integral part of our treatment is keeping track of and celebrating your progress.

At PhysMED, we consider each case individually and tailor whiplash treatment plans after your auto accident accordingly. Your exercises, stretches, and other therapeutic elements will be completely unique to the type and degree of your injury.

Please make an appointment today, and we will discuss how chiropractic care for whiplash and other options might aid in your recovery. Call us at (941) 921-4884 to get started.

Should You See a Chiropractor After an Auto Accident?

Posted on May 27, 2020November 30, 2020 by admin

The first thing you should do after an auto accident is to seek medical attention for yourself and any injured loved ones. Depending on your injuries, a chiropractor could be a good choice. For example, any type of pain or discomfort in your back, arms, shoulders, legs, or neck would be a definite indication you should make an appointment as soon as possible.

Should You See a Chiropractor for Minor Injuries?

An auto accident is not a minor event. Depending on the trauma you endured, any change in your condition— physical, emotional, or mental — could indicate severe underlying injuries.

We would suggest anyone involved in a crash come see us or another appropriate medical provider. That is the only reliable way to accurately determine how much attention an injury might require.

Which Injuries Can a Chiropractor Treat?

At PhysMED, our main focus is physiotherapy for injuries received from motor vehicle accidents. Therefore, while our colleagues in the field treat a variety of health issues, our specialization is in providing the most effective and up-to-date treatment for the following:

Joint, muscle, and ligament issues
Mobility loss and disability
Neck, shoulder, arm, and back pain
Loss of muscle strength

Our services might only be one element of your treatment after a severe auto accident. If it is necessary during the course of your therapy, we can provide you with references to specialists who can help you recover from the other aspects of your injury.

How Long Does Therapy Last?

One reason you should see a chiropractor as soon as possible after a car accident is simple: It takes time to heal. With the correct regimen of treatment and exercises, a relatively minor soft tissue injury might only take a little over a month to two to heal.

Is Chiropractic Covered by Insurance?

Everyone’s insurance treats physiotherapy differently, but all of the essential treatments are covered under the vast majority of standard health insurance plans. Furthermore, we act as medical providers in terms of qualifying you for coverage under Florida’s personal injury protection laws, if necessary. We will work with you to help you understand your insurance coverage and get the treatment you need.

In the Case of Severe Injuries

If you have severe trauma — broken bones, cuts, burns, head injuries or severe joint injures, such as dislocations, for example — please do not hesitate to visit the emergency room. PhysMED is equipped to handle a wide range of injuries, but we do not have emergency facilities at our centers. After these acute concerns are taken care of, we will help you recover in a safe, calm environment if further treatment is indicated.

You should seek prompt medical attention if there is any change in your condition after a car accident. The sooner you start treatment, the better your long-term outlook will be. Please contact us today to set up an appointment.