Car Accidents

Car accidents happen when you least expect them, and if you wait too long to seek treatment for injuries, additional complications may arise. Gregory Carter, DC, and the team at Carter Chiropractic specialize in providing prompt care to patients of all ages who've been injured in a car accident. Even if you don’t have immediate symptoms, it’s a good idea to seek medical care to be sure you don’t develop an underlying condition. Call the office in Raleigh, North Carolina, or request an appointment online today if you or a family member were in a car accident.

How common are car accidents?

Car accidents might be more common than you think. In fact, automobile accidents are responsible for killing over 35,000 people and sending more than 2.3 million people to emergency rooms each year in the United States. Even if your car accident isn’t serious, you might still suffer from the long-lasting effects of whiplash or other injuries.

What are common car accident injuries?

When you’re in an automobile accident, chronic pain can occur long after your injuries heal. Common auto accident injuries and the long-lasting effects they might cause include:

• Whiplash
• Chronic headaches
• Back or neck pain
• Stiffness
• Decreased range of motion
• Herniated discs
• Shoulder or arm injuries
• Leg injuries
• Hip pain
• Numbness or tingling

Whiplash is common in car accidents due to your head and upper body getting jerked forcefully forward and backward. This can lead to sprained or strained muscles, torn ligaments, and chronic pain.

Why should I see a chiropractor for a car accident injury?

You should see a chiropractor for a comprehensive evaluation as soon as possible after an auto accident. A chiropractor can indicate the extent of your injury and provide relief without medications.

Since one of the most common car accident injuries is whiplash – when your head and neck are forcefully or suddenly thrown backward and then forward – it makes sense to seek the help of a chiropractor. Carter Chiropractic specializes in treating whiplash or any other type of head, neck, and spinal injury.

You may not even realize you’ve injured your neck or spine during a car accident because symptoms sometimes don’t appear until more than 24 hours afterward.

How are whiplash and other car accident injuries treated?

When you visit Carter Chiropractic after a car accident, the team carefully examines your spine, head, neck, and any other areas of pain. They may also take X-rays of your head and neck to determine the severity of your injury and if you do, in fact, have whiplash. Your chiropractor then performs gentle, manual manipulation of your head, neck, and spine according to your injury to give you pain relief without prescribing medication.

Depending on your injuries, your chiropractor creates a customized treatment plan of chiropractic adjustments and other physical therapies or exercises that will relieve your pain and continue to help you heal.

If you or a family member are in a car accident, call Carter Chiropractic as soon as possible or request an appointment online today.