Kent Chiropractor

After being in a car accident, many people suffer from back pain. It’s common for everyone to experience back pain occasionally, but it can be debilitating if it becomes severe or a chronic issue. It’s a good idea to seek treatment if you are suffering from back pain before it gets any worse. Chiropractic treatment is an excellent option for people dealing with back pain. In this article, we will go over how seeing a chiropractor could help your back feel better. 

On average, about six million car accidents happen in America annually. From these accidents, about three million people are injured every year. Another two million deal with lasting problems because of the car accident they were involved in. If you are experiencing negative symptoms after being in a car accident, you shouldn’t wait to get treatment. Reach out to Byers Chiropractic and Massage: Car Accident Urgent Care for a health examination so we can determine how to help you. 

There are a variety of types of injuries causing back pain that people can suffer in an accident. The back and spine are complex, and are built to absorb stress while still allowing for flexibility. Because of this, there are lots of different tendons, muscles, ligaments, bones, and discs in this area of the body. If they get damaged, they can affect surrounding tissues and cause a lot of pain. Sometimes car accidents cause severe trauma that results in back pain, and other times the initial injury is worsened by repetitive movements over time. Our chiropractors will identify the cause of your back pain, which is essential so that we can properly address the root cause of the issue. Simply masking the pain with strong medications does not treat the underlying cause. 

Common Car Accident Back Injuries

Disc Herniations/Bulges

Between each vertebra of the spine is a softer disc that acts as a cushion. When this disc is damaged, ruptured, or slipped out of place, it can irritate nearby nerves. This can cause symptoms such as aching and shooting pain, tingling, numbness, and even leg weakness. Car accidents can cause trauma to the spine and its discs. Aside from being painful, if herniated or bulging discs are not treated, it may lead to future spine degeneration down the road. Chiropractic care has proven to be helpful in relieving pain from these conditions, and may prevent disc herniation from advancing. 

Whiplash

Many patients come to us for whiplash treatment. This injury happens when the head and neck are suddenly whipped back and forth. This commonly happens to car accident victims, especially if it was a rear-end collision. Whiplash doesn’t just happen at high speeds, either- it can occur in accidents involving vehicles going at low speeds. Many people find that they don’t experience whiplash symptoms right away after being in an accident. Because of this, they may not know what is causing their upper back pain and other symptoms. Come in to our clinic, and we can determine if whiplash from a car accident is behind your back pain. With our treatment methods, we can help you heal. 

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage protecting your bones gets worn down over time. This makes the bones in joints rub against each other. It can be very painful and debilitating, making it hard for people to walk or carry on with their daily lives. Usually this happens with old age, because of repetitive use. However, you may not know that people can develop osteoarthritis from injuries. If your spine is fractured, a ligament tears, or you get another acute injury in an incident such as a car accident, you may end up with post-traumatic arthritis. This can take months to develop or even years. This means that a person experiencing it might not connect their current symptoms to the car accident they were involved in. 

Pinched Nerves

A pinched nerve in the spine happens when a nerve gets compressed by tissues around it. It can cause pain and numbness that radiates through a large section of your back, and even limbs. If you are in a car accident, the forces involved may have put your body out of alignment and caused a pinched nerve. Chiropractic adjustments and massage can help relieve pressure on nerves. 

Sprains and Strains

If a muscle, tendon, or ligament in the back gets strained or sprained in a car accident, it can cause many symptoms. They can happen when the back and spine get stretched past their limits, starts to tear, or is twisted. This can cause chronic pain, bruising, swelling, and more. If you leave these injuries alone, they may develop scar tissue and stiffness. It’s important that you visit a chiropractor after being in a car accident so that they can see if you were injured. Byers Chiropractic and Massage: Car Accident Urgent Care often provides comprehensive treatment for tears, strains, and sprains. We can help you feel better, as well as lower your risk of long-term symptoms. 

Back Pain From Stress

Car accidents are extremely stressful, and can cause lasting problems, such as financial difficulties, that people have to deal with. When someone is constantly dealing with stress, their bodies will release stress hormones. These can affect the body in many ways, like increasing heart rate, increased blood pressure, an overactive immune system, diminished muscle mass, and decreased bone density. When elevated stress is experienced for a long period of time, it can cause many symptoms, including back pain. Tension from stress can make muscles contract, causing painful trigger points. Thankfully, at Byers Chiropractic and Massage: Car Accident Urgent Care we can treat these trigger points and give lifestyle advice to help you lower stress. 

Chiropractor Treatment in Kent, Washington

When you are suffering from back pain after being in a car accident, regardless of the cause, our chiropractors will determine the problem and help you heal. Chiropractic treatments and massage therapy have been proven to help treat back pain. Reach out to Byers Chiropractic and Massage: Car Accident Urgent Care to set up an appointment and get started.