Q: I was in an automobile crash and have neck pain. I am having trouble getting a doctor to believe me and the insurance company is telling me I should not have pain from the crash. Why? Can you help me?
A: It wasn’t long after Henry Ford started mass producing automobiles that the term “whiplash” came into use. Back in 1928, Dr. Harold Crowe coined the word to refer to “the hyperextension/hyperflexion” injury of the neck sustained from a motor vehicle accident and the resulting symptoms of this injury. Previously, because of the “whipping” motion of passenger rail cars when they began moving, this was termed “railway spine.” The concept of soreness and injury from this mechanism has been around for a very long time. Thus began the epic battle between an injured person and the insurance company that wants everyone to think “they are faking it.” Let me be the first to tell you that the facts are heavily in favor of injuries being real.
People forget that when cars collide, even at slower speeds, passengers can sustain significant injury. Every year, millions of Americans are hurt through low-speed rear-impact crashes. Many of these individuals have neck and back pain for years or even permanently. Medical professionals recommend that people seek treatment immediately following a car accident, even if they don’t experience pain or discomfort. The negative effects of whiplash may take many days or a couple of weeks to appear.
According to the Journal of Orthopaedic Medicine, chiropractic care has proven best for treating whiplash. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to provide natural, hands-on, non-surgical and drug-free care. Their emphasis is on helping your muscles, joints, and nervous system operate at peak efficiency and they focus on a whiplash injury to heal its best so as to not produce long lasting and pain producing scar tissue. Many chiropractors are specially trained in the diagnosis, treatment, recovery and rehabilitation of the acceleration/deceleration injuries typically sustained in whiplash. They have a unique knowledge that combines biomechanics, physics, anatomy, treatment approaches and healing time. If you are in an automobile accident, make an appointment with one of these chiropractors to get your injury treated promptly. A good reference point is found at srisd.com.
My office and providers voluntarily offer community health talks free of charge to those in the Morgantown area. Each speaker is a representative of The Foundation for Wellness Professionals.
We can also be reached at 304-225-9355 for questions regarding this community health service, if your organization is interested in wellness speakers.
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