Auto Injury Relief in Altoona PA

Chiropractors are one of the few primary health care providers who specialize in treating the musculoskeletal system. Just as a person consults with a cardiologist for concerns about their heart, many people seek care and advice from chiropractors regarding musculoskeletal injuries. While whiplash injuries are not always immediately evident, they are actually considered one of the most common injuries sustained during car accidents. The strain that the forces causing whiplash injuries place on the spine is capable of causing damage to the muscles, ligaments, and nerves responsible for supporting your head and neck. If these seemingly minor injuries are not corrected, they often produce a waterfall effect leading to multiple neurological and musculoskeletal symptoms. In fact, it has been found that whiplash injuries are often responsible for early degeneration of the vertebrae throughout your spine, as well as a multitude of symptoms such as pain and headaches. Since automobile injuries can involve many systems throughout the body, finding a doctor who is able to address each area is important. Our team at Logan Valley Chiropractic in Altoona PA will create an individualized treatment plan that encompasses chiropractic adjustments, active and passive physical therapy, exercise programs, and possibly nutritional modifications to help speed up the recovery process.

Numerous research articles have demonstrated the effectiveness of chiropractic care for patients with whiplash-induced injuries. One article publish in the Journal of the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists, showed spinal adjustments to be the most effective form of treatment for decreasing pain and increasing motion in the neck when compared to other various surgical, alternative, and medicinal forms of treatment. Another article documenting the Woodward study showed statistically significant improvement in 93% of the patients who had sustained whiplash injuries and received chiropractic care. Many of these patients had taken NSAIDs and received physiotherapy, PNF, and cryotherapy prior to chiropractic care with minimal benefit.

For many decades, chiropractic care for auto accidents in Altoona PA has been shown to be a viable solution for the treatment of whiplash and many other injuries sustained during car accidents. This affordable and non-invasive form of care has been documented by countless research studies to be the most effective treatment for alleviating symptoms of headaches, neck pain, loss of motion, shoulder pain, and dizziness.

Unfortunately, many people believe that the most serious injuries sustained following car accidents are immediately noticeable. There is also a misconception that only high-speed or hard-impact collisions can cause serious damage to a person’s body. It has been found that these two beliefs are largely responsible for the vast number of injuries that fail to receive treatment following automobile collisions. Therefore, the first thing to remember when making the decision to seek appropriate care is to understand that a large number of injuries can occur following many different types of collisions.

Following a car accident, a person must keep in mind that many factors such as the placement of a car's headrest, the size of both automobiles involved in the collision, and the speed that they were traveling prior at impact all play an important role in determining the injuries sustained. To help understand this concept, it has been shown through research that a car traveling only 5 mph at the time of impact is capable of producing the forces necessary to cause whiplash injuries. While injuries such as fractures, cuts, concussions, and dislocations are immediately noticeable, other forms of damage to musculature, blood vessels, and nerves may not become evident for months or even years. Unfortunately, when these injuries become evident months and years down the road, insurance companies are often not held liable for reimbursement. Therefore it is important that you undergo a complete evaluation immediately following your accident by a health care professional familiar with these injuries. Your doctor at Logan Valley Chiropractic is here to help you in this process.

Even car accidents involving speeds as low as 5 mph can provide enough force to cause significant damage. Unfortunately, many minor injuries that occur due to whiplash are often not immediately noticeable. While not noticed right away, these changes often lead to substantial complications later in life. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the symptoms indicating that an injury has occurred. Common symptoms following automobile accidents that indicate damage to the neuromuscular and skeletal system include; headaches, problems with the motion of the head and neck, shoulder pain, neck pain, disturbed sleep, abnormal sensations traveling down the arms, and dizziness.

One of the most important factors in ensuring successful treatment is to identify a health care provider who specializes in whiplash injuries. Fortunately, Logan Valley Chiropractic is equipped to identify the presence of injury and provide the appropriate care to resolve the problem. As with any condition, the sooner care is provided the better the results. Therefore, if you have been involved in a car accident, it is important that you have your spine evaluated as soon as possible.

Not only is our office able to provide care following an injury, but we are also concerned with providing you with the knowledge to prevent whiplash from occurring in the first place. A common contributing factor to the development of whiplash is headrests that are positioned too low. Headrests that are placed in the down position can act as a pivot point, facilitating hyperextension and hyper-flexion of the neck during rear-end collisions. As a general rule, headrests should be placed as close to the back of the neck as possible and with the top portion of the headrest level with the top of the ears. In addition to the correct positioning of the headrest, the back of the seat should be in the upright position and seat belts should be worn at all times. Finally, safe driving is an easy way to prevent an accident from occurring in the first place.

If cared for properly, a person can recover fully from these injuries within a few months. Whiplash is a complicated condition that requires professional care because it encompasses injury to so many different areas of the body. At Logan Valley Chiropractic we are trained to treat all aspects of these injuries and fix the problem rather than mask it with medication.

We do this through safe, gentle chiropractic adjustments combined with soft tissue therapy and active rehabilitation. Chiropractic care is the most effective treatment for healing from the trauma and reducing the chances of developing manifesting problems.