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Auto Crash

What You Should Know If You Have Been Involved In An Auto Crash

Did you know that dealing with the problems that arise after an auto crash is one of the most stressful aspects of living in modern life? Were you also aware that some auto crash injuries are hidden and are seldom detected for months or even years? As a result, two things can occur when an injury is not taken care of properly, or the crash victims settle their case with the insurance companies before getting evaluated from a Doctor trained in soft tissue injuries. Over 30 years of focusing on trauma and auto crash injuries has given us the expertise needed to understand and care for your injuries.

… This Could Be A Big Mistake.

Why? Because once you settle your case, you lose the right to have your insurance company pay for treatment if you need it. A good rule of thumb is to be informed of your rights and then make a decision. It is our position, if you were indeed injured, you should get the care you need to get you back to the way you felt and functioned just before the accident.

It is not the responsibility of the insurance company to pay for anything more than that. They are not responsible for pre-existing injuries; only the injuries sustained from the crash or injuries that made a pre-existing condition worse. Even if you are just sore, you should get checked out immediately because you may experience pain, numbness, muscle stiffness, fatigue, headaches, and other problems including arthritis many months down the road. Remember, nothing is more important than your health, especially when you start to lose it.

HERE’S WHERE THE PROBLEM BEGINS…

Common questions include:

“Who is going to fix my car?”
“Who is going to pay for it?”
“What will I drive in the mean time?”
“Will my insurance rates go up?”

And the last thing on their mind is:

“Am I Really O.K.?”

Not only are auto crashes an inconvenience and a hassle, a common redundant complaint of auto crash victims is that they don’t feel like their normal selves. You may also be experiencing obvious pains and symptoms like muscle stiffness or spasm, neck pain, numbness and tingling, headaches, back pain, irritability, difficulty sleeping, memory loss, fatigue, difficulty concentrating and many other difficulties. Or worse than that, you may be injured and feel nothing at all.

Either way, did you know that auto crashes can cause post-traumatic osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis can ruin your posture (giving you a slumped or hump back appearance). Osteoarthritis can cause the discs in your spine to degenerate and create scar tissue formation leading to chronic stiffness and the inability to move properly.

Immediately following an automobile crash, things can be chaotic and confusing. Being prepared in advance and knowing what to do when you’ve been the victim of an accident can lessen that confusion and chaos. It can also help preserve your rights and protections, while ensuring that injuries are identified, evaluated and so you can get relief and recover from the injuries.

As a matter of fact…

  • Most Doctors Are Not Trained In The Detection Of These Hidden Injuries…..We have vast experience with auto crash injuries and offer comprehensive state-of-the-art-care specifically for auto crash injuries.
  • If you have been in an auto crash, you need a doctor who is trained in the biomechanics of the human body; someone who treats these injuries every day. In addition, x-rays can be taken to find out if there has been any structural damage. In our office, we evaluate auto crash victims and make any appropriate referrals to other health care providers if needed.
  • Our primary responsibility is giving you the care if you need It, and submitting the required medical reports to the insurance company so your rights are protected.

If we can’t help you, we will refer you to a doctor or facility that can.

The care you need for auto injuries

It’s true: all injuries are different. This means that auto crash injuries are different from other types of injuries. But it also means your auto injury is different from an injury someone else sustained as the victim of a car crash. In addition to being important to diagnosis, this fact-the uniqueness of your injury-is centrally important when it comes to getting effective treatment.

Tailored treatment for your one-of-a-kind injury

The nature and extent of your injury is unique to you. The way your injury affects you could also be unique, as the way your body may respond to treatment. That is why we take an individual approach when we treat your auto crash injury. And that is why we offer a truly wide range of treatments and therapies, which allow us to do what will be best, most effective and most appropriate for you.

Making auto-injury care easy and accessible

We make it easy to get evaluated and get the focused care your auto-crash injuries require. We can usually get you in the same day or the next day so you can get started right away on the path to ensuring you’re not injured – if you are – the path to relief, recovery and a return to the life you love!

If you have been in an auto crash recently, there are some important decisions you have to make, and if I were you, I’d make these decisions very carefully.

FAQ’s

Should I See An Attorney Before I See A Chiropractor Who Specializes And Is Trained In The Treatment Of Auto-Crash Injuries?
It is important to get checked out by the doctor first. That way the findings from your exam will allow you the information you need in order to decide if an attorney is necessary or not.
What If My Car Sustained Only Minor Damage?

Documented studies done by Charles Carroll, M.D., Paul McAtee, M.D. and Lee Riley, M.D. revealed that: “The amount of damage to the automobile bears little relation to the force applied to the cervical spine (neck) of the occupants.”

In other words, the damage to the passengers is not necessarily directly related to the damage to the vehicle.

Should I wait to see if the pain goes away before getting evaluated?
No you should not wait.  As auto-crash specialists, we know how important it is not to delay your evaluation and treatment at all.  Delaying your care can lead to worsening of the injury.  In fact, many people delay evaluation after an auto-crash because they think – or are entirely convinced – that they aren’t injured.  But injuries can hide for days, weeks or even months.  So don’t delay getting an evaluation from a Chiropractor that has years of experience and is specifically trained in the diagnosing and treatment of auto-crash injuries.   
If I Need Treatment For This Injury, Do I Have To Pay For It Myself?

No, not in most cases; only in rare circumstances does the patient pay for their care as they go. Some car insurance policies have what is called “Med Pay.” This means that medical bills will be paid at 100% up to a certain limit. Our office can assist you in obtaining this information.

Using your medical coverage should not raise your premiums.

What Do I Need To Bring With Me For My First Visit?

For your initial visit, fill out and bring in your new patient information forms, which you can download here. If you have any insurance, bring your card with you. When you call to book an appointment, we’ll explain what you can expect from your first visit, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you. Call (501) 374-1153.

The Insurance Company Has Been Calling Me And Wants To Settle, What Should I Do?
Do not sign or settle until you have had us evaluate your injury for you. If you settle before your injury is fully resolved, you will be completely on your own and will have to pay out of pocket for your care.
I've Been To The Hospital And My Medical Doctor, Do I Really Need to See a Chiropractor?

You need a doctor who focuses in the treatment and diagnosis of auto crash injuries. Usually hospitals will check vital signs, make sure there are no life-threatening conditions and release the patient with pain relief medication. They normally do not treat the underlying improper musculoskeletal biomechanics that can and often do lead to future pain. If you are still having problems, you should get a second opinion.

If your M.D. has given you pills, you must understand that pills do not correct structural or connective tissue damage. There are special therapies designed for that, and we offer these modalities at our office.

Does Your Care Hurt?
Absolutely not. The care is very gentle and quite soothing. Most patients can hardly wait to get their care.
Is The Care Safe?
Yes, extremely. Particularly when compared to the side effects from medication. I urge you to go to the patient testimonial tab to get a feel for what you can expect.

10 Items To Keep In Your Vehicle

Phone Charger

Water

Blanket and/or Sleeping Bag

Flare

Jumper Cables

Tow Strap

First Aid Kit

Spare Tire, Tire Iron and Jack

Flash Lights

Food / Snacks

These 10 items are ideal to keep in your vehicle at all times, especially during a road trip. You never know what you may encounter and we would rather you be over prepared than under. Above all else have fun! These are times to cherish with family and friends. If an auto-crash does occur, Arkansas Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, is here to assist you when you return.

Chiropractic First for Auto Injuries

While we rely on the emergency room for critical care, there is a trend in the way more people are being treated for some kinds of urgent injuries. Acute or even emergency cases are quite common in chiropractic clinics. Although there are a number of situations where urgent chiropractic care is indicated, the treatment of acute injury following an auto crash is one worthy of mention.

Of all the research literature regarding chiropractic care, a significant portion details the science and effective results of chiropractic treatment in the area of whiplash-associated auto crashes. In short, the response from patients who undergo chiropractic care following whiplash or “hyperflexion-hyperextension” injury is very good. Well over 2 million Americans are injured in whiplash-associated accidents every year. The important thing to note is that according to a culmination of studies from all over the world, as much as 40% of those injured may suffer from chronic, sometimes life-long symptoms. That accounts for a significant amount of people in this country alone dealing with long standing painful conditions. Fortunately, the consensus of a large body of research evidence demonstrates that car crash victims who undergo chiropractic management recover sooner and have a much lower percentage of chronic residual symptoms.

In describing the forces that occur during whiplash accidents, it has been revealed that during an impact, the car being struck is knocked forward at a rapid change of speed which causes a chain of events to happen through the trunk and upper body. It’s a unique event where the car’s motion propels the upper body or torso forward faster than the car, then the neck and head are propelled forward even faster than the torso, all of which culminate in a compression of the entire spine with a whip-like movement of the upper body and head.

A major factor that produces much of the injury is not the speed at which one car hits another, but the change in speed when the impact occurs. It has been proven with a lot of ugly math that even at slow impacts, tissue damage occurs from the very sudden change in speeds that happen faster than the muscles and supporting tissues can respond for protection. The ligaments and other connective tissues surrounding the spinal joints become easily sheared, torn and compressed. It is those small, but very damaging tears in the ligaments and even the nerves that cause much of the long standing, sometimes debilitating conditions. Other factors like concussions from the whipping of the head or the impact of body parts on the inside of the car will likely contribute further injury.

One of many studies that describe effective chiropractic treatment of whiplash-type injuries was recently published in the Journal of Orthopedic Medicine. The three orthopedic surgeons and one chiropractor of the study declared that 74% of chronic whiplash patients got better with chiropractic care. This is one of several studies that show similar results from chronic patients, which means they had pain and certain disabilities for long periods of time before beginning treatment. The authors of this study have also concluded, like many other studies, that “conventional treatment of patients with whiplash symptoms is disappointing”.

When treatment begins right away for new or acute injuries, chiropractic patients are again shown to respond very well, typically with faster recovery and with less chronic or recurrent symptoms. The reason for the urgency to begin care right away is due to the nature of ligaments and tissues that are injured. They heal better and faster when proper movement is restored sooner, as opposed to stopping movement such as when a patient is put in a cervical collar. Another recent study determined that up to 36% of patients who were put in a cervical collar (but not due to a fracture) soon after the accident were more likely to develop chronic problems. Current treatment programs and guidelines do not support the use of a cervical collar, stating that “absolute immobility in the absence of fracture is discouraged”.

Whether the injury is new or long standing, chiropractic management produces good results because the very tissues that are injured are the same specific tissues that chiropractic successfully treats. Evidence from other areas of study clearly show that restoring the function of the joints and associated tissues is exactly what promotes more optimal healing and alleviates chronic tissue damage.

The trend toward chiropractic usage for these types of injuries may be due to the many studies, but more likely it is simply because of good results especially when a number of individuals recover from chronic problems that conventional care didn’t help.

Chiropractors have been actively treating whiplash connective-tissue injuries for decades but another recent study shows how that trend is shaping up. It shows that since 1987, the claims to chiropractors for whiplash cases have steadily increased by almost 40%, while claims to ER’s and general practitioners have decreased by almost as much. Also mentioned in the report is that personal injury cases in general are reflected in an increased trend of chiropractic usage.

When serious injuries occur or sudden life threatening events happen, the emergency room is the first destination. However, as many chiropractic patients can attest urgent care is not always the same as emergency care. Many patients in acute pain or after injuries will make that call – to take action and treat their injuries promptly for more optimal response and improved healing. While these specific studies show how victims of whiplash accidents have good reason to seek out chiropractic care, personal injury cases of all sorts show the same positive results.

Chiropractic First for Auto Injuries

Receive accurate information and thorough treatment right here!

Our staff is trained to handle all of the insurance and legal paperwork, so we can streamline the process for our patients. We handle the paperwork to make the process easier on patients recovering from the neck pain, back pain, or extremity injuries often associated with car crashes. For anyone who has recently been in an auto crash, please do not hesitate to call or come in for a thorough evaluation that could prevent years of unnecessary of pain and suffering.

It is critical for auto crash injury victims to have a full evaluation with us as soon as possible after the injury occurs. The reason that timing is essential, even after a low-speed car crash, is that the forces exerted on the body during a collision can cause a multitude of connective-tissue injuries that may not manifest themselves until days or weeks after the car injury occurred. Hectic emergency rooms and doctors who are pressed for time often overlook these types of injuries because they have to focus on immediate, life-threatening injuries first. For example, patients with whiplash, which is by far the most common car crash injury we see, are often sent home from the emergency room with a neck brace and some pain relievers, neither of which can solve the long-term damage.

As for whiplash, there are over three million cases of car crash injuries every year. Collision forces shove the head and body in different directions, severely straining the neck’s delicate network of muscles, vertebrae, ligaments and tendons. Especially at low speeds, the victim may not think they have sustained an injury. A few days or weeks later, however, the victim may start suffering from neck pain, back pain, headaches, and vision problems, but be unable to pinpoint the cause.

Other auto crash injury cases involve debilitating back pain, leg pain and shoulder pain. While traditional medicine often prescribes medications and surgery, both of which can cause more complications down the road, our chiropractic approach helps the body recover by addressing the root causes of the pain naturally and very effectively. We skillfully realign vertebrae that are out of alignment in the back or neck due to car crash trauma, which helps relieve pain from pinched nerves, injured muscles, tendons and ligaments. We address the often overlooked connective tissue injures through physiotherapy techniques tailored to each patient’s needs. We help our patients find pain relief, regain range of motion, strength and function.

THE RESEARCH IS CLEAR

Chiropractic care works. Learn more at the US Chiropractic Directory, which only releases information that has been proven in a published research setting.