Since it is the season of snow and ice, I am going to give you a little direction on what to do if you have been in a car accident. Since I am a chiropractor, this is from a doctor’s perspective, not your attorney and not your insurance agent. I am going to assume that since you are reading this, you are safely home on your couch, not frantically googling by the side of the road to discover what to do next. Obviously if there is any question call 911.
Now that you are home from the accident or the hospital, let’s discuss what your next steps should be to resolve your car accident injuries.
Intense back pain can result from car accidents. First, before any of your friends tell you the opposite, go find an ice pack in your freezer and put it on any sore area that hurts. When your friends tell you in a few days to use heat too, don’t listen. I repeat, do not listen to someone who tells you to use heat unless they have a diploma that says doctor on their wall…even then it might not be the right advice.
Secondly, in a world where I can’t listen to my radio on the drive home without hearing an advertisement on calling an attorney as soon as you have been injured, my suggestions would be that ‘before pursuing legal action, pursue care for your injuries’.
If you went to the hospital and you have no broken bones but your back or neck are hurting, sore, stiff or just generally painful, go see a highly recommended chiropractor. That person should be able to effectively diagnose your problem, determine if any further testing is needed and start you on a treatment plan to regain your health.
If the problem is with a sprained wrist or potentially torn up shoulder, talk to your doctor (medical or chiropractic doctor) about obtaining any necessary imaging to get a diagnosis and then seek help from a physical therapist.
I firmly believe that instead of drugs or surgery, focus on chiropractic adjustments and physical therapy. You will deal with the actual injury versus masking the pain and feel better faster.