Car accidents at speeds as low as five to 10 mph can still cause injuries. Even if there’s minimal vehicle damage, your body absorbs forces in an accident differently than a vehicle does. Many times, it’s even possible to not realize that you’re hurt until later down the road, days or even weeks later.
This is why, in most states, you have up to two years to claim injuries from an auto accident.
The most common injuries from a car accident are:
Whiplash
Sprains and Strains
Disc Injuries
Concussions
Headaches
Shoulder and Back Injuries
When it comes to car accident recovery, chiropractors are uniquely qualified because of our high level of education and clinical expertise in correcting biomechanical problems in the spinal column and surrounding connective tissue.
Chiropractors work to correct the root cause of spinal misalignments, joint inflammation and irritation, as well as soft tissue and connective tissue injuries, muscle and ligament injuries, and pinched and irritated nerves, all simultaneously in one comprehensive care plan when necessary.
Working with a chiropractor who understands the nature of car accidents is essential, both for physical recovery and emotional peace of mind.
In the state of Texas, you always have the right to seek health care providers of your choice who you think would be able to help you with your injuries. If another driver was liable, their insurance is responsible for covering your losses and medical expenses. If you are found to be at fault and you still have full coverage, such as personal injury protection or Med Pay coverage on your policy, then your policy is also able to pay for your medical bills and losses. You also have the right to work with a qualified attorney to help you recover payment for your injuries and losses from your accident. In these situations, it’s usually possible to start care right away with no upfront, out-of-pocket costs.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Comprehensive Consultation, Complete Physical Examination, All Necessary Digital X-rays, Report of Findings.
How Our Care Plan Works
1. Identify The Root Cause
You will never be able to achieve wellness by chasing your symptoms; you’ll only get stuck on a merry-go-round of medication offering temporary relief. True wellness comes by addressing and correcting the root cause of your symptoms. That work takes advanced diagnostic tools and doctors committed to understanding how you’re feeling and how it’s affecting your life. This crucial first step is the only way to forge a solid foundation for effective care.
2. Discover The Path To Your Goals
Once we’ve identified the root cause of your issues, together, we’ll develop a unique approach tailored to your needs and aspirations. Our various treatment modalities allow us to get the best results regardless of where a patient has been and where they’re going. Whether hitting a new PR, staying competitive through the back nine, or keeping up with your grandkids, each phase of your care is purpose-driven, taking you closer to the person you were meant to be.
3. Live Life Without Limits
With a solid foundation and a clear roadmap, you can achieve and sustain a vibrant, pain-free life, fully equipped to reach your God-given potential. We walk with you on this journey and provide you with the tools and knowledge to ward off future illness and injury and ensure continual improvements to your health and outlook. When you shed the anxiety and despair that comes with a life dictated by health limitations, you can achieve things you never thought possible.
Common Car Accident Injuries We Treat In Missouri City, TX
Neck Pain
Many types of injuries can occur to the neck. When left untreated, strains, sprains, and tears can lead to the formation of scar tissue and adhesions, which can become painful and limit mobility. Cervical misalignments irritate and weaken the nervous system, causing pain but also limiting the body’s innate ability to heal, slowing recovery times. Corrective chiropractic care is an incredibly safe and effective tool for correcting misalignments and rehabilitating the soft tissue in the neck that protects your most vital bodily system.
Concussion
Concussions are very common after a car accident, as the brain can slide into the walls of the skull. This releases enzymes that irritate the brain’s neurons. Concussion injuries that go unaddressed can have traumatic effects on cognition and quality of life. By restoring normal alignment and mobility to the cervical spine, chiropractic care can calm and balance an irritated central nervous system.
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain can be caused by direct injury from a seatbelt, airbag, or someone gripping the steering wheel as they brace for impact. That force can also refer to injuries of the neck and thoracic spine. Corrective chiropractic care’s holistic approach ensures we address the relationship between various injuries.
Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain and spasms in the gluteal or pelvic areas are common after a car accident. Injuries can even entrap and pinch nerves that go down the legs, causing sciatica, pain, numbness, tingling, or cramping in your legs, calves, feet, or ankles. Disc injuries, like bulges and herniations, can also occur after a forceful impact.
Corrective chiropractic is a highly effective, safe, and non-invasive treatment to correct spinal misalignments and disc injuries. It requires no medication, injections, or surgery.
Knee Pain
Slamming into the dashboard, floorboards, or pedals can transfer energy into the legs and knees. Corrective chiropractic care is effective in prescribing specific therapies, adjustments, and rehabilitation protocols to address knee issues, while also treating other injuries.
Whiplash
Whiplash is an extremely common car accident injury. As your body accelerates and decelerates rapidly in an accident, it can sling your head, neck, and shoulders back and forth like a whip. This rapid motion is extremely damaging to your cervical spine and the soft tissue in your neck. It can cause microtears and trauma to the muscles, resulting in muscle strain and misalignment of your cervical spine.
Whiplash symptoms include:
- Pain
- Numbness and Tingling
- Weakness in the Extremities
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Vertigo
- Anxiety
- Sleeping Problems
- Decreased Neck Range of Motion
It is essential to get treatment as soon as possible after any car accident to maximize recovery and make sure that you don’t have long-term scar tissue, inflammation, or arthritis.
How We Treat Car Accident Injuries in Missouri City, TX
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
At Life Essentials Chiropractic, we recognize that accurate documentation is essential for insurance to cover medical expenses. We also understand that addressing the root causes of your injuries immediately is crucial to maximizing the chances of a complete and functional recovery.
Before treatment begins, we’ll discuss your unique situation, what’s going on with your body, nd what your goals are.
Our thorough exam includes:
- Orthopedic and Neurological Testing
- Postural Analysis
- Functional Range of Motion Assessments
- Digital X-rays
These tests will provide a precise and accurate clinical picture of your specific situation. Even if there are no outward visible signs of bruises, cuts, or injury, it’s still possible to have internal complications that need to be fully explored to ensure a complete and timely recovery, allowing you to return to full health.
We are laser-focused on addressing the root cause of your injuries through active and functional rehabilitation, rather than just passive therapies that treat pain but don’t rehabilitate the affected area. This is crucial to prevent future issues.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Missouri City, TX
It’s essential to consult a chiropractor as soon as possible to identify spinal misalignments, functional losses, reduced mobility, and biomechanical abnormalities. The longer they remain in the body, the greater the risk of developing more significant issues, which can lead to permanent immobility, scar tissue, or functional loss in the future.
Corrective chiropractic care is designed to restore proper joint motion and alignment, achieve normal biomechanical balance within the musculoskeletal system, help rehabilitate soft tissue injuries, and alleviate disc injuries to relieve pinched or irritated nerves, thereby providing relief from discomfort. Relieving nerve pressure immediately reduces pain but, more importantly, optimizes your nervous system to accelerate healing and recovery.
Each step of our care is tailored to your unique situation based on our examination process. We create a comprehensive, active rehabilitation program, combined with corrective chiropractic adjustments and targeted exercises, to restore proper biomechanical function to the body, decrease pain, help regulate healthy inflammation levels, and return you to full function.
Nutritional Supplementation
Our doctors are qualified to recommend customized nutritional supplementation protocols to help support your recovery. We can recommend natural supplementation solutions that help manage healthy levels of inflammation to optimize healing, provide your body with the necessary nutritional building blocks to repair injured tissues, and create the fastest path back to recovery.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Soft tissue injuries are common after a car accident. Muscles, ligaments, and even discs can tear, strain, or lose their optimal function. Our goal is to strike a balance between stability and mobility. Tight, spastic areas must be stretched and relaxed, while weak, unstable areas must be strengthened.
In addition to specific corrective adjustments, we will develop a customized therapeutic exercise program to help you rehabilitate the muscles, ligaments, and discs affected in the accident. This program will reinforce the structural changes we’re making to provide long-lasting effects and prevent future injury.
Check Out Our Location Near You
5425 Hwy 6 Suite A-300, Missouri City, TX 77459
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I go to a chiropractor after a car accident?
Yes, corrective chiropractors are the #1 recommended doctor to see after an auto accident. We address the biomechanical and neurological effects of an accident, taking a comprehensive and holistic approach to pain relief and overall health.
Does car insurance pay for chiropractic care after a car accident?
Yes, there are many scenarios in which insurance will usually cover your injuries. If someone else is liable for the accident, their insurance will likely pay for all of your medical care. Even in scenarios where you may have been at fault, if you have a full coverage policy that includes PIP or medical payments (med pay), then those coverages are designed to provide protection.
What are my rights to care after an accident in Missouri City, TX?
You have the right to choose any qualified healthcare provider that you think is best for your injuries. You also have the right to consult with an attorney if you feel like you need help with seeking recovery for yourself or protecting your rights after a case; no insurance company or attorney can dictate which healthcare provider you are required to go to. This decision is up to you, the patient.
Do I have to pay anything out of pocket after a car accident?
In most scenarios, you will not have to pay anything out of pocket after an accident. If another driver is at fault, their insurance will cover you. If you are found to be at fault and have personal injury protection or med pay on your policy, then that’s precisely what those protections are for. After a car accident, they will typically cover your injuries without any upfront out-of-pocket costs.
How long should I go to a chiropractor after an accident?
The length of treatment can vary significantly depending on the person, age, severity of the injuries, and other pre-existing health conditions that may delay or complicate recovery. Treatment can range anywhere from a few weeks to 90 days.
$49 New Patient Special
Includes Comprehensive Consultation, Complete Physical Examination, All Necessary Digital X-rays, Report of Findings.
