Why is neck pain such a common symptom after a car accident?

by SoFloChiro | Jan 7, 2023 | Car Accident, Chiropractic care, Chiropractic Education, Pain

Why is neck pain such a common symptom after a car accident?

If you experience neck pain after a car crash, don’t worry; this condition is not unusual. Neck pain is a common condition after an auto accident, which we see frequently.

It is not surprising that neck pain is the most common symptom experienced after a car crash. Of course, your head is rapidly thrown back and forth, even in a car wreck. Neck pain is the most common this type of injury in an impact.

Your neck is exposed to very high forces during a car accident, so it’s not surprising that neck pain is so familiar from this type of injury. During a low-speed car crash, your head is exposed to rapid acceleration. The force exerts a severe strain on the tissues of the cervical spine.

The bones of your spinal column are held together with strong bands of tissue called ligaments. These provide stability for your neck.

The cervical spine comprises seven vertebrae that range from the skull’s base to the shoulders’ top. The smallest within the entire spinal column, vertebrae provide:

Support for the head
Protecting the spinal cord
Giving the neck structure
Supporting head and neck movements

What causes neck pain after an auto injury?

The ligaments in your neck can be sprained during a car crash, just like an ankle sprain. A sprain means that the ligaments are stretched or torn.

When you experience a sprained ligament, the damaged area becomes inflamed and sore after a car crash.

Chiropractic helps by increasing flexibility in the injured area, which allows the tissues to heal and helps reduce scar tissue.
The uppermost part of the spinal column, the cervical spine, is a complex structure of bones, discs, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and tendons.

Both solid and delicate, the cervical spine is an incredible structure that carries the weight of your head (9-13 pounds).

It protects the spinal cord, supplies blood to the brain, and allows a wide range of motion, supporting your head and neck movements, such as nodding, turning your head from side to side, and looking up and down.

The cervical column comprises seven bones (C1 to C7) uniquely shaped to protect the spinal cord that descends from the base of your skull and the spinal nerves or root that exit the spine between each set of bones.

Can lower back pain be related to your neck?

The neck (cervical spine) is part of the spine and encloses and protects the cervical spinal cord. Neck pain, therefore, is often a response to similar conditions that cause other back pain. Also, like back pain, neck pain may cause referred symptoms, or radiation, along your arm into your hand.

How can chiropractic care help you heal?

Let’s look at how a crash causes neck pain and how Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida can help you.

First, we will look into the root cause of neck pain after an accident. The key to recovering from neck pain caused by a crash is understanding its cause and how chiropractic care can help.

Your chiropractor can be beneficial in diagnosing neck pain and creating a treatment plan that will get you back to yourself and healthy again.

What does the cervical spine do?

Spinal cord protection. Nerves of your spinal cord pass through the vertebral foramen. It runs the center of your vertebrae — beginning at the base of your skull, and running through the cervical and thoracic vertebrae. It ends between the first and second lumbar vertebrae.
Head support and range of motion. The average weight of your head is between 9 to 13 pounds. The cervical spine supports your head. Let your neck and head tilt forward and backward, turn from side to side (rotation), or bend from side to side.
Safe passageway for vertebral arteries. The cervical spine is the only section of the vertebrae that contain holes. The holes give a protective pathway from C1 to C6 for vertebral arteries to carry blood to your brain.

What other muscles and soft tissues are in the neck?

Sternocleidomastoid. This muscle runs from behind your ears to the front of your neck.
Trapezius. These two triangular muscles extend down your cervical and thoracic spine from the base of your neck to your shoulder blades.
Levator scapulae. This muscle is attached to your first four cervical vertebrae to the top of the scapula (shoulder blade).
Erector spine. Several muscles make up this muscle group. The muscles help with neck rotation, posture, and the extension of neck backward movement.
Deep cervical flexors. The muscles run down the front of your cervical spine. They allow you to bend your neck forward and stabilize your cervical spine.
Suboccipital muscles. These four muscles connect the top of your cervical spine from the base of your skull. They allow you to rotate and extend the head.

What are the ligaments of your cervical spine?

Three ligaments in your cervical spine connect bone to bone to help to keep your spine stable.

The anterior longitudinal ligament extends from the base of your skull down the front of the cervical vertebra. It stretches to resist backward neck motion.
The posterior longitudinal ligament starts at C2 and extends down the back of your cervical vertebrae. It stretches to resist forward neck motion.
Ligamentum Flava ligaments line the backside of the inside opening of each vertebra where your spinal cord passes. These ligaments cover and protect your spinal cord from behind.

What do discs in the cervical spine do?

Cervical disks are the “shock absorber cushions” that sit between each vertebra. A total of six disks are positioned between the seven cervical vertebrae (one between two vertebrae).

In addition to cushioning against stresses placed on your neck, the disks allow you to flex and rotate your head more easily during activity.

Nerves in the cervical spine

Eight nerves exit through small openings of your spine between every vertebra of your cervical spine. They are labeled C1 through C8 and stimulate the muscle movement in your neck, shoulders, arms, and hands and provide sensation.

Cervical nerves C1, C2, and C3 control your forward, backward, side head, and neck movements. The C2 nerve provides sensation to the upper area of your head. The C3 gives a feeling to the back of your head and the side of your face.
Cervical nerve 4 controls your upward shoulder motion and is one of the nerves that control your diaphragm (muscle at the bottom of your rib cage that helps you breathe). C4 provides sensation for parts of your neck, shoulders, and upper arms.
Cervical nerve 5 controls the deltoid muscles of your shoulders and your biceps. C5 provides sensation to the upper part of your upper arm and your elbow.
Cervical nerve 6 controls the extensor muscles of your wrist and is involved in the control of your biceps. C6 provides sensation to the thumb side of your forearm and hand.
Cervical nerve 7 controls your triceps and wrist extensor muscles. C7 provides sensation to the back of your arm into your middle finger.
Cervical nerve 8 controls your hands and gives sensation to the pinky side of your hand and forearm.

How can chiropractic care help you heal?

Let’s look at how a crash causes neck pain and how Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida can help you. First, we will look into the root cause of neck pain after an accident. The key to recovering from neck pain caused by a crash is understanding its cause and how chiropractic care can help. Your chiropractor can be beneficial in diagnosing neck pain and creating a treatment plan that will get you back to yourself and healthy again.

How can chiropractic care help you heal?
Let’s look at how a crash causes neck pain and how Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida can help you. But first, we will look into the root cause of neck pain after an accident.

The key to recovering from neck pain caused by a crash is understanding its cause and how chiropractic care can help. Your chiropractor can be beneficial in diagnosing neck pain and creating a treatment plan that will get you back to yourself and healthy again.

Chiropractic care is an effective way to treat neck and back pain. Let our professionals at Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida, with seven convenient locations, help you. An injury or any pain not taken care of can become an overwhelming issue down the road.

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How Can Chiropractic Benefit After a Car Accident?

by SoFloChiro | Jul 27, 2022 | Backpain, Car Accident, Chiropractic care, Chiropractic Education

How Can Chiropractic Benefit After a Car Accident?

Victims of a car accident do not think of a chiropractor as one of the first medical professionals to use directly after their injury.

However, after the initial medical assessment, it is one of the most beneficial treatment plans you could have.

Chiropractic care can behoove you, particularly if you have injuries related to your musculoskeletal system or spine.

A chiropractor can thoroughly evaluate your injuries and make
a treatment recommendation.

Back, neck pain, and stiffness combined with feeling muscle soreness or restricted range of motion are widespread symptoms after an accident.

Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida can identify these symptoms instead of numbing them with medication. Then, we can perform spinal and other joint adjustments, physical therapy, and healing. As a result, pain relief can be achieved.

Making a treatment plan will provide these primary benefits:

Reduces inflammation and scar tissues: small tears called micro-tears within the muscles and ligaments in the body are common and are not identified by x-rays.
In addition, after a muscle is injured, it can get scarred after an accident and cause stiffness and soreness.
A spinal adjustment will allow the body to return to normal alignment.
Reduce the need for medication: Most prescription medication is highly addictive.
Chiropractors heal the affected areas instead of masking or covering up the pain.
Receiving chiropractic care immediately after a car accident can prevent minor injuries from becoming worse, causing a chronic condition down the line.
Restore range of motion: When inflammation is present, it restricts your range of motion.
Chiropractic adjustments to the spine will allow the healing process to return to the proper range of motion.
Reduce pain: Chiropractic adjustments promote relief of the affected area and throughout the entire body.

The Pros and Cons of Conventional Medicine:

Conventional medicine saves lives in emergencies or life-threatening conditions.

However, the potential downside of this treatment when it comes to car accident injuries is that unless a bone is broken or some other serious injury, many doctors prescribe pain and anti-inflammatory medication and send the patient on their way.

Unfortunately, this may only be temporary relief without healing the root of the problem.

Why Choose a Chiropractor?

A chiropractor can identify why these symptoms are arising and, instead of numbing through medication and can perform spinal and other joint adjustments along with physical therapy.

Through these sessions, many patients may experience these eight primary benefits:

1. Reduces inflammation:

Micro-tears within the muscles and ligaments of the body are common and cannot be found through a standard x-ray. Spinal adjustments can bring the spine back into alignment, producing natural anti-inflammatory properties to assist with discomfort from these tears.

2. Reduces scar tissue:

Muscles can get scarred after an accident, causing stiffness and
soreness. A chiropractor can target these scarred areas and help break down the build-up quicker than if it was left to heal on its own. Less scar tissue means a person is likely to feel better much faster.

3. Decreased need for medication:

Prescription pain medication can be very addictive. Taking a heavy painkiller in the short term may become a continued addiction or dependency. Chiropractic adjustments can ensure that the actual injury is healed and that pain isn’t simply masked as an effect of the medications.

4. Long-term benefits:

Receiving chiropractic care promptly after a car accident can help prevent minor injuries from worsening into severe and chronic conditions down the road.

5. Restore range of motion:

Neck or back injuries can result in restricted mobility. It may be challenging to turn your neck or move other ways when your muscles are inflamed. Mobilizing the spine through chiropractic adjustments can help restore the proper range of motion and encourage the healing process.

6. Reduce pain:

With spinal adjustments, a person can have reduced pain in the affected areas and relief throughout their entire body. In addition, many people feel significant relief immediately following an adjustment, possibly due to the release of pain-reducing hormones.

What If My Accident Injuries Don’t Show Up Right Away?

Most car accidents are traumatic events. After all, a lot of force is involved when a vehicle hits (or is hit by) something.

Even seemingly minor accidents can lead to significant harm, but injuries sometimes don’t appear immediately.

The most common car accident injuries that show up later are soft tissue injuries, concussions, and back injuries.

It’s crucial to monitor and treat potential injuries for the sake of your health and ability to receive financial compensation for your injuries.

Soft Tissue Injuries After a Car Accident

A soft tissue injury refers to damage done to body parts other than bone. For example, muscles, tendons, and ligaments are “soft tissue.”

Car accidents, even low-speed ones, generate a lot of force. As a result, drivers and passengers often come to a sudden stop along with the vehicle; or they may get thrown around the passenger area.

In addition, the force places a lot of stress on joints and other vulnerable body areas.

Whiplash After a Car Accident

Perhaps the most common type of soft-tissue injury is “whiplash.” Referenced an injury sustained to the neck muscles when the head is suddenly and forcefully thrown forward and then back.

Soft tissue injuries typically result in pain, swelling, and reduced mobility, but these symptoms may not appear immediately.

Back Injuries and Back Pain After a Car Accident

The human spine is a complex system of bones, muscles, nerves, and other soft tissues. So even a minor collision can easily result in a back injury, whether damage to the bone (vertebrae), muscles, tendons, discs, ligaments, or nerves in the neck (cervical vertebrae), upper back (thoracic), or lower back (lumbar).

Besides pain, there are other signs of a back injury, such as:

reduced mobility
muscle spasms
trouble walking, standing, or sitting,
headaches
body stiffness
headaches

Other common symptoms of back injuries include numbness and tingling.

Consider seeing a chiropractor if you’re experiencing pain from a car accident.

Contact us at The South Florida Chiropractors today for an appointment, and we’ll help you get back in the game. Call: 877-881-4878 (HURT)

Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida are Experts on How to Control Pain After a Car Accident

by SoFloChiro | Oct 1, 2020 | Car Accident, Chiropractic care, Pain

Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida are Experts on How to Control Pain After a Car Accident

Dr. Garrett Weinstein who practices at 7 locations and is the pioneer of Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida realizes how busy we all were before COVID-19 with family and community obligations, but times have changed. We question where and why we are leaving the house and is it very important that we take a risk? The answer is YES because while we leave our security of home and being quarantined, there are times we must maintain our own wellbeing in order to take care of our responsibilities as well as our families. Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida respect the time you leave the safety of your home and family; however, if you are involved in a car accident during the COVID-19 you need extra special attention and the ability to get as a victim of someone else’s negligence with an attorney office that makes previsions to help you get the treatment you need to recover from your accident in a timely fashion. The attorneys of many local, regional, and statewide firms depend on a chiropractor’s office that takes quarantine seriously, which would be Chiropractic Centers of South Florida. The bottom line is that after a car accident you need to be able to receive treatment and still feel safe so that you can heal and get back to your normal way of living.

When you are in a car accident, the forces from the crash cause your body to experience more stress than usual. This additional stress can result in a number of soft tissue injuries, such as sprains, strains, contusions, tears and fractures, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, neck pain, mid and lower back pain, pain and numbness down the arms and feet, shoulder pain, knee pain, wrist pain, and hip pain. The symptoms of these injuries are sometimes obvious right after an accident. Other times, they may take a while to appear.

Regardless if you feel immediate or delayed pain, it is important to see a chiropractor after a car accident as soon as possible, this will help prevent further injury and allow you to quickly begin treatment. It also minimizes the risks that come with not seeing a doctor after a car crash. If you don’t see a doctor right away, insurance may not cover the expenses associated with your injury, you might wave the right to personal injury coverage, you may be unable to pursue legal action, or you might have health complications.

Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida provides several treatments that can help manage the pain that is a result of your car accident:

Physical Therapy – Physical Therapy (PT) is a form of treatment and care that aims to ease pain and help you function, move, and live better. Physical therapy sessions are designed to help you perform exercises and stretching that assist to strengthen your muscles and help in relieving pain. This is especially useful to help ease pain without medications, injections, or surgery. Physical therapy can shorten recovery time. It can strengthen your muscles and improve range of motion. Fortunately, with Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida can provide physical therapy in the same facility that you receive other facets of treatment listed below.

Chiropractic Treatment – After an accident, it is quite common to seek the help of a chiropractor. A chiropractor places an emphasis on treatment through manual adjustment and/or manipulation of the spine. Sudden impacts from auto accidents can cause misalignments of your spine and affect the nerves and muscles, which can cause severe pain. The adjustments that we provide help reduce pain and inflammation in order to decrease your recovery time. We ensure your vertebrae and extremity joints are aligned and able to function correctly. One of the techniques we use to do this is spinal decompression that works by gently stretching the spine over a period of several treatments. The idea is that the spinal decompression technique changes the force and position of the spine. This change takes the pressure off of the spinal disks by creating negative pressure in the disc, resulting in the bulging or herniated disks that may retract, taking pressure off the nerves and other structures in your spine. This in turn, helps to promote the movement of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluids into the disks so they can heal while reducing your pain.

Hot and Cold Pack – This is an easy treatment that can be utilized from just about anywhere. Surprisingly, the effects of hot and cold packs work wonders for fractures, sprains, soft-tissue injuries, swelling, and many other conditions. Ice is the initial recommended treatment for acute injuries, however, it is very beneficial during your recovery because after you receive therapy, regardless if it is physical therapy or a chiropractic adjustment because it is the best way to reduce swelling and control pain without medications. Moist heat is followed after receiving ice because it increases circulation and raises skin temperature.
Massages- Massage therapy in our offices use a variety of techniques to manipulate your joints and soft tissues to improve your body’s overall health. It involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body. Most chiropractors use massage therapy as a part of their practice. Massage therapy can relieve muscle pain and improve blood circulation.

Exercise – Although we know on a daily basis exercise is important for everyone’s health and well-being but can be especially useful when dealing with accident pain. As you heal, our chiropractors may recommend certain exercises and stretches that will build strength in injured muscles and improve your flexibility. Regardless if you are someone with a regular exercise regime or not, it is never too late to begin or improve on what activity you do. You should remember to start slowly and discuss any new activities with our dedicated and knowledgeable staff.

Our team of highly trained Chiropractors will work hand in hand with you, in order to provide you with all the necessary help you need during your accident recovery. Any serious accident injuries should be cared for before insurance or chiropractic care is considered. After emergencies are taken care of, it is best to notify your insurance and get to a chiropractor right away. The sooner you see one of our experienced staff of chiropractors in an office near you the better. Call us today at 877-881-4878 to schedule an appointment with our chiropractor, Dr. Garrett Weinstein, DC.

Why Physical Therapy after a Car Accident?

by SoFloChiro | May 30, 2020 | Car Accident, Pain

Why Physical Therapy after a Car Accident?

Physical therapists are musculoskeletal experts, well-suited to treat the underlying musculoskeletal injuries that may have occurred because of a car accident. The result of a car accident is stressful and painful. You may not notice pain or stiffness immediately but for many of us, the pain will come in the following days. It is crucial to seek medical treatment immediately to rule out any possibility of a fracture that might have occurred due to the accident.

There are several types of injuries that are common in car accidents and can benefit from physical therapy. Some of these are whiplash, headaches, back pain, neck pain, shoulder, and knee pain. You can speed up the recovery time when physical therapy is added to your treatment. Repairing and strengthening damaged tissues and muscles is the ultimate goal of therapy. Physical agents such as heat, ice, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation may be used. Manual techniques are often used to help improve mobility. Some injuries are more severe and some retraining of everyday functions, such as brushing your teeth or opening a door and physical therapy in addition to occupational therapy is often beneficial.

One of the goals of physical therapy is to attempt to prevent an injury from going from acute to chronic. After an accident, you may feel as though it might be impossible to do the things that you could do before the accident. Physical therapy allows you to boost your mental health which is the key to gain optimal success with your treatment. As you continue to progress and achieve the goals that the physical therapist sets for you it will promote your confidence that with hard work you can recover from your injuries.

Physical therapy can accelerate your recovery process by aiding in healing by restoring function and mobility. It can also avoid or delay your need for surgery. Surgery should be the last resort for an injury and with physical therapy, it is possible to postpone until a more convenient time; it is common that with diligent and consistent care surgery may not even be necessary. If orthopedic surgery is necessary than physical therapy before the procedure can allow for a speedy recovery especially if you continue your care with your personal physical therapist after your surgery.

Finally, we would like to mention pain medications and the ability to utilize physical therapy to keep the need to take them to a minimum and reduce the length of time you spend on them. Physical therapy can assist by restoring function and mobility by improving your flexibility, strength, and range of motion of which will improve the consistent pain and allow you to live a life that doesn’t revolve around the need for pain medications.

Our team of doctors has the knowledge in aiding a patient that has been through a car accident. Therapeutic exercise is often used by physical therapists to help people gain range of motion, increase strength, and improve function. Patient education about a condition or illness is paramount to the practice of physical therapy, and therapists may use charts, models, and diagrams to help you understand your diagnosis and prognosis. Our office staff is competent, kind, and compassionate. They understand the seriousness of your situation. Contact the Chiropractic Clinic of South Florida for all your physical therapy and chiropractic care. https://soflochiro.com/physical-therapy/

Benefits of Chiropractic Care after a Car Accident

by SoFloChiro | Sep 28, 2019 | Car Accident

Benefits of Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident

Injuries Are Not Always Obvious.

Not all injuries are going to obvious immediately following an auto accident. Pain from Whiplash, for example, may not start until a day or so after your accident. It’s important to note Florida law requires you to be seen by a medical professional within 14 days of the car accident if you sustained injuries so if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should be seen by a medical professional promptly.

Other symptoms may include:

Dizziness
Headaches
Soreness
Blurred vision
Shoulder pain or
Pain/stiffness in the upper or lower back and neck.

Do not wait until you feel pain to seek treatment. The best way to deal with whiplash or another car accident injury is to catch it early. Ignoring a potential injury can lead to chronic pain, which is why it is essential to see Dr. Garrett R. Weinstein, DC immediately following your accident so he can properly diagnose your injuries and start you on a treatment plan before the pain becomes unbearable. With over 20 years treating traumatic injuries, we can help you heal, and get back to living.

At Chiropractic Clinics of South Florida, we treat car accident injuries including whiplash, back pain, neck pain, headaches, and migraines.

We will help you with pain management and rehabilitation for your car accident injury. Chiropractic care combined with other treatment methods such as massage, extension traction therapy, and physical therapy will assist in the healing process and get your body back to normal.

Tears in the muscles are the main reason people wake up after a car crash in severe pain wondering what is wrong because their X-rays looked normal. Massage and another combination of chiropractic therapy may be just what you need.

Dr. Weinstein uses methods such as spinal manipulations to realign the spine, helping your body to heal faster. The non-invasive Spinal manipulations realign the spine and joints, significantly reducing pain and promoting healing without the need for surgery.

We Can Offer Some Pain Relief Without the Use of Drugs

Medical doctors will commonly prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain medication after an accident. Most people think that taking these will make them better, and probably do for a short period. However, drugs only mask the symptoms; they don’t heal the injury. You need a therapy treatment plan that maps a potential road to recovery.

Chiropractic care offers pain relief without the use of prescription medications. Chiropractic care also addresses the injury at the source of the problem, restoring function and not masking the pain.

Chiropractic Care Has Been Known to Restore Mobility

The soreness and stiffness from a motor vehicle injury can inhibit movement. Dr. Weinstein works with patients to help get them moving again as quickly as possible. When you receive a chiropractic adjustment, it will mobilize your spine, restoring function, decreasing inflammation and allowing the body to begin the natural healing process at a much faster rate.