Long-Term Effects after a Car Accident

There are an estimated 6 million car accidents in the US every year, with over 3 million resulting in serious injuries.  Its easy to think of only the "right now" effects of a car accident when it comes to our health.  Most people who have been in an accident do not feel pain immediately, and research shows it takes about 48 hours for pain and stiffness to set in after a collision.  However, over 68% of people involved in a motor vehicle accident still feel pain in their back and neck at one year post-accident when left untreated.  It only takes a collision at 8 miles per hour to have damaging effects or whiplash of the neck.  If whiplash is untreated, this leads to long-term pain in the neck and damage to the nervous system.  Even more so, chronic neck pain is the 4th leading cause of disability in the world for adults!
Whiplash is a neck injury due to forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck. Symptoms people may experience after whiplash of the neck due to a car accident include neck pain, stiffness in the neck and shoulder, loss of range of motion in the neck, headaches, upper arms and back soreness, numbness and tingling in the arms and hands, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, sleep disturbances, irritability, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and depression.  Taking medication after a car accident such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or opioids will help with short-term pain control, but won't correct the injury sustained.  Inflammation that the body produces after an injury is what causes long-term effects because proper flow of blood and nutrients to the body is interrupted.  Chronic interruption of these impulses is what can lead to chronic health issues and pain.  Therefore, reducing inflammation by removing interference to the nervous and skeletal systems will allow the body to heal properly and avoid long-term effects from a car accident. Not only can a chiropractic adjustment reduce inflammation and correct subluxations of the neck and spine, it restores motion in the joints as well as reduces scar tissue formation and helps the body to release IL-6 and other pain-reducing hormones.
Our office located in Charlotte, NC is the areas leading expert in identifying and treating injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents and can help restore your body to proper functioning.

Yours in Health,


Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV


Nolet, P. S., Emary, P. C, Kristman, V. L., Murnaghan, K., Zeegers, M.P., & Freeman, M.D. (2019). Exposure to a motor vehicle collision and the risk of future neck pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pm&r. doi; 10.1002/pmrj.12173