Most people are more concerned of the legal implications of being in an auto accident. The health concerns that arise with auto accident injuries are generally pushed to the back of the mind. Particularly, if the injuries are not considered sever or there are no visible signs of the injury (broken bones, bleeding), they are more liable to be ignored.
Never Assume
Your car may not be damaged in the fender-bender you were involved in because you were driving at no more than 8 – 12 mph but your body is a whole different ball game. Even at these low speeds, whiplash injuries are a distinct possibility.
Even if you are not feeling any pain or injury after the auto accident, you must visit your chiropractor immediately. If you do not do so, chances are that your insurance adjuster will claim that the visit to the chiropractor at a later date had nothing to do with injuries caused by the auto accident.
At the Appointment
Get all the information that you can about the auto accident before you visit the chiropractor, because they will have lots of questions for you. These questions include the sequence of the accident, what exactly happened during and after the accident, the angle at which the car was hit, what speed did the collision take places at and more.
Most importantly, the chiropractor will want to know whether anything is hurting in your body to determine how your body reacted to the car accident. If there are any parts of your body that are in pain, be sure to mention this to your chiropractor. Also, describe the severity of the pain.
Most chiropractors will use technology to check the muscle tension in the neck and spine to determine if any of these areas have been affected in the auto accident. The data produced during the evaluation will also serve to strengthen your auto accident case, if one exists.
Proper Rest
Finally, the chiropractor will recommend a treatment plan to readjust your body. You may need to return for another visit or more in the course of the next few weeks to ensure that the treatment plan is working. You may also be asked to refrain from lifting a heavy object or putting any strain on the affected areas of your body during this time. This will serve to hasten the process of healing.
