The processes after a car accident can sometimes be obscure, but chiropractic care shouldn't be one of them. Here are some of the questions you're likely to have after calling in an appointment for whiplash treatment.
What Will the Chiropractor Do?
The chiropractor's job is to help your spine heal more quickly. Car accidents place a lot of pressure on your spine as your head is jerked back and forth during impact. Since you're the softest object in the car, you can absorb a lot of the force. Even small accidents will throw your spine out of whack. The chiropractor looks for areas where your spine is not aligned, and they use various techniques to correct the problem.
What Techniques Can I Expect?
You can expect a few different things. The doctor might use spinal manipulation to restore motion and circulation to your spine. But if manual adjustment would be too strong, they can also use an activator, which is a tool that applies a small amount of force to move spinal bones.
Will This Hurt?
Generally, a chiropractic visit should relieve pain, not cause it. Some people can experience pain after their first few visits. This should not keep happening after a few visits. Your body does need some time to adjust to your spine shifting back into place.
How Often Will I Need to Visit?
Many visits will start out as two times per week. But as you start to get better, this can be taken down to one time per week. Your doctor may also suggest that you get massage or acupuncture treatments to help relax muscles and alleviate pain. Your muscles will tend to spasm during whiplash; it's a natural protection mechanism your body has. However, keeping those muscles from tightening up too much will help you hold your spinal adjustments better.
How Long Will it Take to Get Better?
This is a difficult question to ask. Some people get better after a month. Others take a year or more. It matters how hard you were hit. It also matters what condition your back and neck were in before the accident. If you had problems with posture or back and neck pain before your accident, an additional impact can make the problem much more severe. Another thing that will matter is how inactive you are able to be; if you keep reinjuring your back and neck, the treatment will take longer.
For more information, contact companies like Hidden Valley Chiropractic.
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