4 things to do after a car accident

4 things to do after an Car Accident:

Did you know that according to the Journal of approximately 15-40 percent of those injured in an automobile accident will have chronic pain for the rest of their life?  However, not all people have the same severity of injury and may have different symptoms and recovery times, even people that were in the same car when the accident happened.

Things you can do:

• Ice – Ice is a natural anti-inflammatory and pain killer.  You can use a reusable gel ice pack that will fit around the contours of your body, put some ice cubes in a zip lock bag, or use a pack of frozen veggies like peas.  Put a towel between the ice pack and your skin.  Try the 10:10:10 rule.  Ice for 10 minutes, remove for 10 minutes and then ice for 10 more minutes.  You can do this every hour or as needed.  Topical creams such as Biofreeze can also help. 
• Stay Mobile – Pain free movement, even just a little bit of movement, can help your tissues heal.  It might be a little sore at first but the more you move the better you will feel over time.
• Keep a symptom diary – You may forget some of the things you felt.  This will help the doctor diagnose your injuries.  It also helps build a case by documenting the extent of your injuries. 
• Seek Medical Attention – Often, injuries caused by an auto accident don’t show up for a day or two.  Even minor impacts can cause injury.  The sooner you begin care the faster you will recover.  The longer you ignore symptoms the harder they are to treat.  If you are bleeding or have a broken bone go get a medical evaluation immediately.  

Chiropractic can help with spinal manipulation, rehabilitation exercises and other treatments.  These treatments can help decrease pain, decrease inflammation and improve function.  Chiropractic will help restore your spinal function and the exercises will help restore your muscle function.  Along with managing your activities of daily living, chiropractic can help with persistent car accident whiplash injuries. 

References:

https://journals.lww.com/jaaos/Fulltext/2007/10000/Chronic_Whiplash_and_Whiplash_Associated.4.aspx