Car accident victims will usually suffer from cuts, bruises, and broken bones, depending on the severity of the accident. However, other common symptoms of car accident victims include muscle stiffness or numbness, neck pain, tingling sensation, back pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and even anxiety and irritation. All these are in fact symptoms of whiplash injury, which is quite a common auto injury. Therefore, it becomes very important to consult Wirth Chiropractic in Greenville, NC, after you have been involved in an accident, since he is the right health professional for these types of injuries.
A Common but Terrible Injury
In almost all auto accidents, the vehicle suffers an impact from another vehicle or from a stationery object. The impact causes a whiplash motion where the shoulders, head, and neck are thrown forwards and backwards violently while the trunk of the body remains relatively in the same position. This motion can cause harsh injuries, including straining or tearing of ligaments, tendons, and even muscles.
Wearing of seat belts will not prevent whiplash injuries, and certain studies in fact suggest that seat belts could cause these injuries, since your torso is locked tightly in place with the belt, and your head and shoulders can move freely (you are not driving a certified NASCAR race car). However, you should always wear seat belts, since they can save you from other much serious injuries during an accident. The seat belt prevents you from slamming into the dashboard and steering wheel, which can cause even more serious injuries.
The Right Move
Even a minor accident where the car has not sustained any damage can cause whiplash injury. Secondly, injury to ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves will not show clearly on X-ray tests, and therefore they often remain unnoticed during examination by a regular doctor. Wirth Chiropractic in Greenville, NC will have the necessary skills and expertise to detect these injuries and prescribe the right course of treatment. Sometimes whiplash injuries will not exhibit any symptoms for a long time, and when they surface, the condition would have deteriorated to quite an extent. Therefore, an examination by a chiropractor after an accident is essential.
A chiropractor will employ various techniques to detect the type and extent of whiplash injuries, which could include physical manipulation, reviewing medical history, checking posture, and so on. Once the injury is detected, Wirth Chiropractic in Greenville, NC might also take some X-ray tests and scans to diagnose the injury correctly, and for prescribing the best form of treatment and exercises you may have to employ to retain a full and faster recovery.
