It is extremely important to seek chiropractic care as soon as possible after an auto accident in order to prevent further damage to your musculoskeletal system and extended time to recovery. Many car accident injuries, such as whiplash, aren’t immediately obvious. In the absence of blood or bruising, you may assume you were fortunate to escape serious injury and consequently delay scheduling a chiropractic exam for days or even weeks until symptoms appear.
Table of Contents:
Why Chiropractic Care after a Car Accident is So Important
Car Accident Chiropractic Care FAQ
Working with Insurance and Attorneys After an Accident
Auto Accident Injury PIP Laws
Why Chiropractic Care after a Car Accident is So Important
If we could give just a single piece of advice to our Boca Raton, FL patients who have been involved in an auto accident, it would be to contact our car accident chiropractors as soon as possible for a comprehensive exam and x-rays.
The sudden jarring motion of a vehicle collision often causes a major impact to your body. Whiplash is the most common injury associated with car accidents, however there can also be injury sustained to various tendons, ligaments, joints and muscles throughout the body. Internally, you could experience misalignment of your spine or damage to your nervous system and organs.
Seeking care form an auto accident chiropractor can help mitigate the potential long-term effects sustained by some of the most common injuries experienced after a collision including:
Whiplash
If you are experiencing severe neck pain along with a reduction in mobility with your head and neck, you may have whiplash. You may also experience shoulder pain and upper back. The sooner you seek chiropractic treatment, the faster your neck muscles can heal effectively.
Herniated and Slipped Discs
The sudden impact of a crash can cause your vertebrae to become dislodged or out of alignment. If your disc (or discs) become herniated, this can cause pressure on surrounding nerves, leading to back pain. A slipped disc can make mobility and walking a major problem. Our car accident chiropractic specialists use spinal decompression as part of a chiropractic adjustment to realign your spine and reduce pain and long term effects.
Headaches and Migraines
Headaches after a car accident stem from misalignment of the cervical vertebrae. We may perform manual adjustments and/or utilize computerized spinal decompression techniques to restore normal alignment and elongate the spine.
Soft Tissue Injury
Untreated injury to your soft tissue (muscles (including the heart), fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and tissues that surround the bones and joints) can result in rigid scar tissue forming in the days and weeks after your car accident. These scars prevent normal circulation, impair flexibility and increase inflammation.
Deep tissue massage is the most helpful treatment, as deep, firm pressure breaks down scarred muscle tissue and adhesions to reduce pain and facilitate natural healing. This treatment is especially helpful for Boca Raton patients who have delayed seeking medical attention.
Stiffness and Weakness
Managing pain improves mobility, but restoring full function after an accident sometimes requires physical therapy. Our car accident chiropractors will recommend you follow an at-home exercise plan to speed healing and recovery. When combined with massage and manipulation therapies, exercise strengthens core muscles necessary to support spine health.
Soft tissue injuries limit mobility and may cause debilitating pain. Headaches, soreness, stiffness and tenderness throughout the body often result from the adrenaline release. Our chiropractors will complete a comprehensive exam; then recommend a treatment plan to help your body naturally restore proper functionality, eliminating the source of your pain so you can return to a normal lifestyle faster.
Based on the results of your post-accident chiropractic exam, treatment plans typically include a combination of chiropractic, massage, and physical therapy services.
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Car Accident Chiropractic Care FAQ
When do I visit an auto accident chiropractor?
If you are experiencing severe bleeding, fractures, shock, concussion – or if you have hit your head, first go to the emergency room.
24-Hour Emergency Rooms in Boca Raton
Then, you can perform a search for “car accident chiropractor near me”, or come directly to Shadowood Chiropractic Center (we accept walk-ins) for x-rays and a detailed evaluation designed specifically for patients who have sustained car accident injuries.
I don’t feel injured, should I still go to the chiropractor?
Many auto accident injury symptoms “hide” at first due to the combination of shock and adrenaline. This may cause you to neglect getting evaluated for very real injuries that could be getting worse and worse. You should always get a post-accident spinal examination, whether you feel okay or not.
What accident injury symptoms do your chiropractors treat?
Our Boca Raton chiropractors treat a variety of problems associated with car accident injuries, including:
- Whiplash
- Sciatica
- Extremity joint pain
- Seat belt injuries
- Headaches and Migraines
My pain is in my leg, not my back or neck. How can a chiropractor help?
Leg pain following an auto accident is often caused by sciatica, impingement of the leg’s sciatic nerve roots from a herniated disc or swollen tissues. We can administer the Cox Technique to realign the lumbar spine and massage therapy to relieve tissue swelling.
If you have injured your knee, we can perform sophisticated diagnostic imaging to view the extent of the injury, then administer extremity adjustments and/or soft tissue therapy to relieve pain and promote healing.
Can your office work with my insurance company or lawyers?
Yes. Our Boca Raton chiropractors have over 30 years’ experience as an expert witness to help injury sufferers receive the compensation they need. We’re also happy to provide comprehensive documentation to workers’ compensation and insurance providers to facilitate your claim.
Working with Insurance and Attorneys After an Accident
Car accidents can be devastating to your body, your health and mental wellbeing. Our staff is highly knowledgeable and trained in the legal and insurance matters that often arise after an accident. Over the past 30 years, our auto accident chiropractors have received thousands of referrals from local healthcare professionals including internists, orthopedists, neurologists, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and dentists. Should you need legal counsel we can provide a list of well respected, experienced attorneys who specialize in auto accident injury cases in Boca Raton.
Paperwork
Our front office staff is very experienced in handling the paperwork involved in seeking recompensation and related legal matters that are associated with auto accidents, and we provide a dedicated insurance liaison to ensure you receive the care you are entitled to.
Court Testimony
Dr. Dellabella and our chiropractic staff is highly regarded as an expert in the treatment of the types of injuries sustained in automobile, slip and fall accidents and work related injuries. Over 30 years of experience giving expert testimony in court and at depositions allows our clinic to prepare you for what to expect before, during and after court appearances.
Auto Accident Injury PIP Laws
PIP, or personal injury protection, has specific requirements for victims of auto accidents.
There’s a Time Limit
In order for auto insurance to cover your healthcare, you must seek treatment within 14 days of being involved in a car accident. If you do not obtain care in that timeframe, you void your ability to obtain PIP coverage for the treatment you may need.
Often, you may not feel injuries sustained to your body immediately after an accident – so if you have any muscle soreness in your neck, in your mid-back, in your low-back or anywhere in your body seek a physician’s advice within the first 2 weeks. If you wait until after the 2 week period to visit your physician and chiropractor, you will not be able to use the medical benefits covered under your policy.
Total Coverage Amounts
To obtain the full amount of coverage, individuals must have an “emergency medical condition.” You will need to obtain an emergency medical certificate from a physician so that your PIP Coverage encompasses the full $10,000 policy otherwise the policy only has a $2,500 limit. In some situations, chiropractic care can be obtained over the $2,500 value. However, the law does not require insurance companies to provide victims with coverage for acupuncture treatment or massage therapy.
If you cannot receive coverage over the $2,500 threshold and still need care, you can continue to receive treatment under a Letter of Protection, which is obtained through an attorney who is filing a claim for you. You have the right to seek out legal counsel for the early termination of your PIP benefits.
Impact on Your Premiums
There is no rule in Florida’s PIP law that requires insurance companies to reduce costs for newly reduced benefits, though carriers are encouraged to provide a 10% reduction in premiums.
Schedule an Appointment Today with Our Boca Raton Car Accident Chiropractors
If you have recently been in an auto accident, or are looking to relieve chronic pain from an old injury, our chiropractic specialists can help you.
We offer a free initial chiropractic exam and x-rays for new auto injury patients, so you can start getting the treatment you need today.
Contact the Shadowood Chiropractic Center at 561-488-4000 to schedule your appointment, or fill out the form on this page.
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