Chiropractors Say You Should
For those that have been in a recent auto accident, it’s common to feel completely fine. But are they really? In any car accident, there is a ton of force involved when a vehicle is something or hits something else. Even small fender benders can exert enough force to really cause injury.
However, many people simply choose to walk away and do nothing after an auto accident because they didn’t see or feel any major damage to their bodies.
By Design Chiropractic recommends seeking out medical help after any time after an auto accident – even if you don’t feel any pain – and want victims of a car crash to know that it is important to understand why it’s important to monitor injuries. It’s all about protecting your health and legal rights.
The Adrenaline Rush
Car accidents can really get the body’s adrenaline pumping. That’s because of all the exciting events that occur when someone is in an auto accident.
When someone is in an accident, their heart starts to race due to the shock of what just happened. It’s hard to believe what’s happened and many people don’t know what to do next.
Car accidents create a level of excitement that makes the body generate endorphins and adrenaline, which can make someone feel energized and pain-free. But just because there isn’t any pain felt at that moment, doesn’t mean they are really fine.
The symptoms might just be masked by all the excitement. Once the car accident victim has calmed down, they’ll usually start feeling the pain – and this can take up to a few hours to even a few days.
The Possibility of Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are fairly common after auto accidents. This type of injury happens when muscles, tendons, and ligaments become damaged.
One of the most common soft tissue injuries is known as “whiplash.” This kind of injury relates to damaged neck muscles because of the forceful back and forth motion of the head. This often happens in the event of a collision, which can result in swelling, pain, and in some cases, reduced mobility.
However, symptoms of whiplash don’t often start showing immediately. In fact, it can take a few days or weeks to start presenting itself in a person who has just been in an accident.
Plus, soft tissue doesn’t come up in X-rays, which makes it even harder for a doctor to diagnose and document for insurance purposes. However, it’s still recommended to get medical treatment right after an accident – even before any discomfort or pain arises.
Think of it as preventative measures so that the doctor can ensure that everything is okay. At By Design Chiropractic in Ponderay, ID, our chiropractors will make sure that the treatments are documented and sent to your claim’s adjuster.
Concussions Are Common After Car Accidents
Another common injury after car accidents is a concussion. Although the brain is well-protected inside of the skull thanks to its hardness and all of the fluid, a person can still suffer from a concussion after being violently shaken in a car at impact.
The brain can strike the inside of the skull with a lot of force and cause someone to suffer from a concussion, which can be very serious if not addressed right away.
Oftentimes, symptoms of a concussion are readily apparent in individuals. While some symptoms like loss of consciousness and disorientation are more obvious, others are hard to diagnose because they’re so subtle.
Concussion symptoms include dizziness, blurry vision, headaches, feeling foggy, not being able to remember new information, no energy and abnormal sleep patterns like sleeping more than usual.
These symptoms don’t materialize right after a car accident, so if you do have any of these days later after the incident, it is important to seek medical attention!
Why You Should See A Doctor No Matter What
The body you have is the only one you’ll get in this life, so making sure it’s healthy is key to living a long life. Once an accident occurs, there is no way to know how the body was affected by the force and trauma, especially if there is no immediate pain or visible injuries.
It’s a good idea to still see a doctor despite feeling just fine. At By Design Chiropractic, our chiropractor will conduct certain tests for common car accident symptoms.
If nothing is found in the initial visit, patients are generally asked to come back after a few days or weeks to ensure that no injury has come about. Of course, chiropractors make sure to give their patients advice on what sort of red flags to watch out for in case symptoms start to manifest over time.
Seeing a doctor immediately after is also helpful for those planning to file a claim after a car accident so that they are properly compensated if there are any serious injuries.
It is important to do this in a reasonable amount of time because if you wait too long, the insurance adjuster will try and argue that the injuries you have must have not been that bad if it took you a while to see a doctor.
Do Not Sign Anything
After the car accident, the other driver’s insurance might call you. They might ask that you sign a release to any claims you might have, or they might even offer you some money to motivate you to sign.
Make sure not to sign anything until you’ve been seen and evaluated by a doctor, who is able to document your auto accident injuries and treatment process.
At By Design Chiropractic, we recommend waiting a while to see if any symptoms do finally start to manifest (which again, don’t always happen right away). If you do sign, you won’t be able to try to claim anything if it turns out you are injured as a result of the traffic accident.
If you’ve been looking for a way to maintain optimal health, contact our chiropractor at By Design Chiropractic! Chiropractic care is a proven method that may be the answer you’ve been looking for to help improve your quality of life. We are more than happy to help you get started on your wellness goals of living a healthier and stress-free life.
If you are in the Ponderay area, give our office a call at (208) 597-4033 and experience the benefits chiropractic adjustments can give you. We look forward to meeting you and providing you with the best holistic health approach to better health and pain relief!
