When you're involved in a car accident, whether a major collision or a minor fender bender, it's possible to sustain injuries that may not be apparent immediately following the incident. Since collision-induced injuries don't always cause pain right away, you might feel fine following the accident, only to develop serious pain or mobility impairments in your neck, back, or appendages later. 

At Bomberg Chiropractic, auto accident care is one of our specialties because we understand how impactful accident-related joint and soft-tissue trauma can be over the long term. 

In this blog, we're breaking down several important reasons you should seriously consider visiting a chiropractor after a car accident. 

1. Get Immediate Pain Relief

If you're dealing with stiffness or pain following an auto accident, prompt chiropractic care can help alleviate your discomfort. Even a minor accident can put considerable stress on your joints and strain your soft tissues, which may cause pain immediately or within hours of the incident. 

By adjusting the spine and treating its supporting soft tissues, a chiropractor can provide soothing relief for many kinds of accident-related issues, including:

  • Headaches

  • Neck pain

  • Low back pain

  • Reduced range of motion in the neck, back, shoulders, knees, etc.

  • Nerve pain, both isolated and radiating 

Although adrenaline can prevent discomfort from coming into full force right after a collision, pain may become very apparent when that adrenaline subsides. For many people, the morning after a car accident is when discomfort starts to become noticeable. 

After the incident, seeing a chiropractor for treatment as soon as possible can help ensure you can continue your normal daily routine. 

2. Identify Injuries You May Not Be Aware Of

One of the most common car accident-induced injuries is whiplash, but unfortunately, symptoms of this particular injury often take days or even weeks to appear. 

Although you might feel fine immediately after an accident, the sudden force of even a minor collision can easily strain your neck and back muscles. Those muscles can stiffen up without prompt treatment, causing considerable pain and mobility impairment in the days and weeks after the collision. 

That's where chiropractic care can be incredibly beneficial. Chiropractors are experts at treating many types of soft-tissue injuries, including whiplash and other strains and sprains. A comprehensive chiropractic exam immediately after a collision will allow your provider to identify subtle signs of an injury, even if it isn't yet painful. 

Detecting those minor issues as early as possible and beginning the treatment process promptly will help prevent collision-related injuries from progressing. 

3. Document Immediate Evaluation for Insurance 

If you're ever involved in a collision caused by another driver's negligence, you might need to take legal action against the other party. If you sustain a serious injury, you may require long-term treatment, which the at-fault driver's insurance company will need to compensate you for. 

But to get the compensation you're entitled to, you must prove the collision caused your injuries and do so within a specific timeframe. The only way to get that proof is to work with a medical provider – like a chiropractor – who can diagnose your injuries, determine their source, and recommend an effective course of treatment. 

Seeing a chiropractor after a car accident for a full exam is one of the best ways to document any potential injuries resulting from the collision. An x-ray and a physical exam will allow your chiropractor to determine areas of concern and note those concerns in your medical records. 

4. Preserve or Improve Your Range of Motion

Auto accidents can easily cause microtears in your soft tissues, which may not be readily apparent immediately after a car crash. But in the days following the incident, those microtears can become seriously inflamed and painful and may cause considerable stiffness that results in minor to moderate mobility impairments.

Seeing a chiropractor for treatment right after an accident can help you address soft tissue problems that can negatively impact your range of motion over the long term. 

5. Enjoy Peace of Mind

A thorough physical exam after an auto accident is the only way to know whether you may have sustained an injury that could worsen over time. While some people walk away from a major collision with nary a scratch, others suffer seriously impactful injuries caused by minor collisions. 

Even if you don't plan to file a personal injury claim, seeing a chiropractor for an exam and an adjustment after a car accident can give you peace of mind. 

Understanding the extent of any injuries you may have sustained can help you and your provider create a plan for treating those issues and preventing further complications over the long term.  

6. Reduce Scar Tissue

There are a range of injuries that you will be checked for by the chiropractor, and because most of them will involve soft tissues, there may be a risk of scar tissue buildup without proper treatment. While ligaments and muscles have a similar structure comprised of multiple fibers, if they tear, the scar tissue will begin to fill in the gaps, similar to how a cut heals when the skin regrows. 

While it's beneficial for healing, the scar tissue can cause misalignments in the areas they have formed, and the uneven tension can lead to problems later down the road, like nerve pressure, pain, and intention, and result in further misalignment without proper care.

Why Choose Bomberg Chiropractic After a Car Accident?

So, you've been in a car accident – what happens next? Aside from talking with your auto insurance company, and dealing with getting your car repaired, now is the time to take note of any physical symptoms that show up a few days after your accident.  

Other than the classic neck and back pain usually associated with auto accident injuries, there are other symptoms you should look for – headaches, stiffness, tightness, and numbness- all symptoms you should pay attention to after an accident. 

Personalized Treatment Plans

If you are feeling any kind of pain after a car accident, you should understand your options for treatment of that auto injury. But how do you choose? Each chiropractor is different in their treatment philosophies. 

Bomberg Chiropractic in New Hope is a good place to start if you value personalized treatment plans focused on healing, state-of-the-art techniques, and an insurance-friendly process. Dr. Tom Bomberg's approach to care is to help you progress towards feeling better, diminish your pain and feel better long term. 

Some chiropractors have a one-size-fits-all treatment plan for patients who suffer pain from a car accident. No two patients at Bomberg Chiropractic are alike, and their treatment plans are as unique as the patients. 

Our Process

We thoroughly discuss your symptoms, available treatment options, and your schedule. We outline what a progression to wellness looks like and what treatment options are available to treat your pain caused by the car accident. 

Once you understand your options, we will proceed with treatment toward healing and wellness. 

Proven Healing Strategies

You can rest easy that Dr. Bomberg has been trained on state-of-the-art treatment techniques- beyond the usual chiropractic adjustment. Dr. Bomberg is certified in Active Release Technique (ART), a movement-based massage therapy that addresses soft tissue issues, including nerves and joints. 

Often, pain from a car accident is caused by aggravation of pre-existing scarring on soft tissue. Dr. Bomberg uses ART to treat these issues and other chiropractic techniques to alleviate auto-injury pain. 

During each visit to Bomberg Chiropractic during your treatment plan, Dr. Bomberg checks in to ensure you progress toward lower pain levels and healing from your injury. 

Insurance Support

Need another reason to trust Bomberg Chiropractic? Dr. Bomberg helps you negotiate the complex insurance process associated with treatments for pain after a car accident. Dr. Bomberg works with you to submit your claims to involved insurance parties and keeps meticulous records should the matter be reviewed in court. 

If you are working with an attorney to recover damages after your auto accident, it's good to know that Dr. Bomberg's detailed treatment notes have proven valuable in achieving positive outcomes. 

Expert Referrals 

Finally, Dr. Bomberg knows you want to return to wellness as soon as possible and is part of your long-term treatment team. If, during treatment, your progress toward healing isn't sufficient, Dr. Bomberg is happy to refer you to medical specialists that can address specific residual issues. 

These specialists share the same tailored treatment philosophy – focusing on healing via minimally invasive treatment plans as a preferred option. 

Dr. Bomberg's primary goal is to help you return to the same wellness you had before your car accident rather than require a lifelong adjustment schedule that other chiropractors might recommend. 

Get Expert Chiropractic Care in New Hope, MN

Whether you were recently involved in a collision or need treatment for collision-related injuries you sustained in the past, our team at Bomberg Chiropractic can get you on the road to recovery. 

To get started or learn more about how we can help, please don't hesitate to call our New Hope office at 763-450-1755 or schedule an appointment online.