Some patients may put off seeing a chiropractor after a car accident because they do not know what to expect at the first chiropractic visit. This blog aims to help you understand what will happen and what you can expect from this visit and your subsequent chiropractic treatment plan.
A chiropractor can diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate a wide range of car accident injuries. The goal of chiropractic care is to treat the cause of your symptoms while managing them in a drug-free, non-invasive way. Let a chiropractor help you manage your pain and heal from your crash injuries.
What Happens at the First Chiropractic Visit After a Car Accident Injury?
Your initial chiropractic appointment may also be the longest. It will take time because your doctors and therapists need to assess your condition and accurately diagnose your injuries. As a part of this visit, you can expect:
Health History
They will ask about your crash and symptoms, but they will also inquire about other injuries you may have suffered in the past. They will also want to know about any chronic pain or other concerns.
Physical Exam
The doctor will conduct a physical examination to see what causes you pain and better understand your injuries and symptoms.
Medical Imaging
When necessary, your doctor will order X-rays or other medical imaging to best visualize your injuries and help them ensure they are addressing the underlying cause of your symptoms.
Diagnosis
Using what they’ve learned during your appointment, your doctor will diagnose your injuries and talk about possible treatment options or approaches with you.
Discussion of Your Goals
In many cases, your activities and goals before the accident will play a role in your recovery. Chiropractors and therapists can help you regain strength and flexibility, ensuring you can return to your previous activities.
Answering Your Questions
Your doctor will give you a chance to ask any questions and learn more about your treatment or injuries.
How Your First Chiropractic Visit Leads to a Personalized Treatment Plan
The result of your initial intake examination with a chiropractor is your personalized treatment plan. Once your doctor has a good idea of your injuries, needs, and goals, they will prescribe a plan to help you recover. These plans generally pair physiotherapy and chiropractic care to provide an outline for the care you need.
Your plan will determine:
- What treatments and therapies you require
- How many times you should go to a chiropractor after an accident
- How often you will need to see your chiropractor
Depending on your needs, your personalized plan could address a wide range of injuries or symptoms, such as:
As you work through your program and make improvements, your doctor and therapist will evaluate you and determine your best options for making the best progress possible. These evaluations could lead to changes in your plan to ensure you get the care you need throughout the rehabilitative process.
What to Expect at the Chiropractor: Prescribed Treatments for Car Accident Injuries
Your personalized treatment plan could include several modalities meant to manage your symptoms, heal your injuries, rehabilitate your injured body parts, and prevent future injuries. Some of the most prescribed treatments at a chiropractic clinic include:
Spinal Adjustments
Spinal adjustments realign the spine to improve function and alleviate pain and other symptoms. During a chiropractic session, your chiropractor will use their hands or special instruments to apply force to the spine in a controlled, gentle way. There are many types of chiropractic adjustments and spinal manipulations used to treat back pain, neck pain, sciatic pain, and other injuries.
Soft Tissue Therapy
Soft tissue injury therapies reduce tension, inflammation, and pain in injured muscles, ligaments, and tendons. These specialized techniques could include myofascial release, deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, and soft tissue mobilization. This type of therapy can work to treat muscle strains, ligament sprains, tendonitis, bursitis, and even break down scar tissue.
Joint Manipulation and Mobilization
Chiropractors apply gentle force or use other mobilization techniques to work the joint through its normal range of motion to reduce stiffness, increase blood flow, and improve joint mobility. These techniques help the joint to function properly, increase the range of motion, and provide pain relief. It is commonly used on knees, hips, shoulders, wrists, and ankles to treat joint pain, arthritis, and other joint injuries.
Physical Therapy
Chiropractors prescribe a wide range of physical therapy exercises to help patients recover while they undergo treatment for their injuries. The goals of these exercises include reducing pain and inflammation, maintaining strength, and rebuilding range of motion.
Rehabilitation Exercises
As your injuries heal, your chiropractor will prescribe different personalized exercises to help you return to your previous activity level. The goals of rehabilitation include increasing muscle strength, improving flexibility, ensuring joint stability, and helping you leave treatment stronger than you were before your accident occurred. Rehabilitation plans will likely include:
- Stretching
- Strengthening
- Balance and coordination exercises
Rehabilitation is common for patients treated for musculoskeletal injuries in the chiropractic clinic as well as those who come to the center for drug-free pain management and post-surgical recovery.
Complementary Therapies
Chiropractors prescribe complementary and supportive therapies to help patients manage symptoms, especially when they see a drug-free pain management plan. Most of these therapies increase blood flow to the area, reducing pain and swelling and encouraging healing. Some types of therapies offered include:
- Ultrasound therapy
- Electrical stimulation (ESTIM)
- Cold laser therapy
- Heat/Ice therapy
- Kinesiology taping
Call the Naples Community Injury Center to Schedule Your First Visit
Naples Community Injury Center has three chiropractic clinics in South Florida to serve you. The Naples Community Injury Center team has over 60 years of combined experience helping clients overcome auto accident injuries and recover fully. Contact us now to schedule your initial examination with our team in Naples, Marco Island, or Estero, FL.
