Auto accidents happen on a daily basis.  Many people don't know what to do or how to take care of themselves following an accident.  Many people choose not to get any treatment. Those that are hurting immediately after typically go to an emergency room or urgent care center and receive a prescription for muscle relaxers and pain relievers.  This treatment does not do anything in the long run to help your body fully recover from an accident. For one, your body is intelligent.  If there is an area of instability the body will react by tightening the muscles to act as a "splint" to guard the area against further injury.  So taking the muscle relaxers can weaken the effectiveness of that splint and allow your body to be injured more.  This creates more pain and the necessity for more pain killers. It takes a minimum of 5-8 miles per hour collision to do damage to your car but it only takes 3-5 miles per hour to do damage to your body So what do you do? How do you know if you have any damage done to yourself that needs attention?​
Auto Accident Chiropractor Utah
​Would you try and fix this damaged car with a dent puller, and a small tube of touch up paint, and maybe an oil change?​​​  Do you think you could make this car new again?
Auto Accident Treatment Utah
​





​​How much work does it take to turn the damaged vehicle​, back into this!

TECH NECK or NECK PAIN

In a "normal" x-ray of the neck looking from the side there should be a nice "C" shaped curve with the front and the back of the bones (vertebrae) lined up without any moving forward or backward (stair-stepping).  This is represented by the more vertical lines drawn on the picture. These lines will stay lined up when the neck is flexed forward or extended backward showing stability in the ligaments of the neck.  ​

A.

B.

C.

How do I know if I should be seen following an accident?

Most times people experience some sort of discomfort following an accident and it is easy to know that care is needed.  For many of the smaller fender benders the person is in shock following the accident and never know they were hurt.  There are times that symptoms do not show up until YEARS down the road.  Here in Utah a personal injury claim from an accident is open for up to 4 years following an accident because it takes time for symptoms of an untreated accident to show up.  We have taken care of many people who 18-24 months down the road tell us that they are experiencing headaches that they never had before their accident and that the headaches are slowly getting worse.  After taking an x-ray of the patient we can still see the levels of instability and maybe even early signs of degeneration at certain levels in the spine cause by an accident.  If you have had any of the following after an accident either immediately or down the road it is beneficial for you to get in.
​
  1. Neck Pain
  2. Low Back Pain
  3. Arm or Leg Pain
  4. Headaches
  5. Dizziness
  6. Sciatica
  7. Upper or Mid Back Pain
  8. Rib Pain
  9. Other pain or discomfort
We recommend that any person that has been in an accident should at least get checked. The insurance will cover any needed expenses.  A Doctor of Chiropractic will do a very detailed physical (range of motion, muscle and skeletal palpation, etc), neurological, and orthopedic examination to find out what type of damage has been done and the best form of treatment plan will help you get better as quickly as possible.  ​

What type of treatment can help your body to recover and get as close to being repaired following an accident?

As mentioned before, pain relievers and muscle relaxers are not very effective in long term repair of the body and taking care of the unstable/sprained segments of the spine. As long as there is not a break, or a completely torn ligament leading to severe instability of a section requiring surgery; the best treatment for the body to recover is:
  1. Passive Therapy to reduce pain
  2. Correct the misalignments through Chiropractic care 
  3. Massage from a Licensed Massage Therapist to work out the tense muscles at the proper time
  4. Active Exercises to stretch the tight muscles and strengthen the area.
  5. Depending on severity of injuries, co-treat with other practitioners to make sure the patient is getting the best care possible.   
​
Please remember if you have been in an accident, your body has experienced a trauma and it is going to take time to get you feeling better and it is a process to get you back to your 100%.  Treating the sprains and strengthening an area of instability is like getting braces on to take care of crooked teeth. It takes time to do the job properly! ​
At SHAW Chiropractic - Spinal Health And Wellness, we have experience and have helped many patients recover from their auto accident. 

We would love to help you recover too!
​ ​
Call:   801-285-6668