Accident Injury

Accident Injury

Anyone involved in a car crash in Fort Worth can seek chiropractic care from Hulen Chiropractic, even if there are no current signs of injury. We offer X-Rays and can begin treatment prior to any medical examination. Underlying injuries, such as whiplash and spinal cord compression, can result in chronic pain, long-term damage, or even disability.

Timely treatment at Hulen Chiropractic helps to minimize the extent of the injuries and alleviate various symptoms such as pain and inflammation. We effectively address neck and back pain, herniated discs, and symptoms linked to vertebral misalignment.

WHIPLASH

Whiplash is a nonmedical term used to describe an injury to the soft tissues of your neck (specifically ligaments, tendons, and muscles) from a sudden jerking of the head. The name whiplash comes from the similarity of the neck snapping forward and backwards like a whip cracking. Whiplash frequently occurs in vehicle accidents but can also occur in abuse, falls, other sorts of accidents, sports injuries and work-related injuries. Most commonly whiplash occurs from rear-end type car accidents. The speed of the cars involved or the overall severity of the accident may not relate to the intensity of whiplash; speeds as low as 13 miles per hour are able to produce enough force to cause whiplash, whether or not the vehicle’s occupants are wearing seat belts.

Many people in Ft Worth, TX who have been involved in a car accident don't even realize they have a whiplash injury until much later, possibly months, when the problem becomes painful, persistent and cause other issues. We encourage you to get a chiropractic exam in Fort Worth following any accident where your neck or back was jarred or shaken.
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This abnormal motion or force applied to your neck causes movement beyond the neck's normal range of motion resulting in herniation, disc bulges, slipped discs, subluxations (misalignment of the vertebrae in the spine), injured bones in the spine, irritated and damaged nerves and pulled ligaments and muscles in the neck.

Signs and symptoms may occur immediately or minutes to hours after the initial injury; the sooner after the injury that symptoms develop, the greater the chance of serious damage. In addition, the spinal nerves may become torn during the accident. Torn spinal nerves can cause disc herniation or degeneration and lead to compression and irritation. When the nerves are compressed or irritated, the sufferer can experience muscle weakness, limb numbness, upper back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain and arm pain.

Most Common Whiplash Symptoms

Headache & Dizziness

In addition to upper back and neck pain, headaches are the most common sign of a neck injury like whiplash. Usually, headaches after an accident come from spinal, ligament and muscle damage as well as overall trauma. On occasion headaches indicate a more serious brain injury. Dizziness is sometimes another sign of a brain injury; however, dizziness may also be due to an injury of the cervical spine's facet joints.

Neck & Back Pain

The most frequent complaints after an automobile accident are sharp pains in the neck and upper back as well as a limited range of motion in the neck due to muscle and ligament damage. Pain may radiate up the neck, between the shoulder blades and across the shoulders.

Traumatic Brain Injury

People who suffer from a severe case of whiplash may also have received a traumatic brain injury. If the neck is jerked hard enough during impact, the brain can bounce against the walls of the interior of the skull, causing concussion.

When to Seek Chiropractic Care

Contact Hulen Chiropractic as soon as the injury occurs or as soon as you realize there are lingering effects from a recent accident. If you or someone you know who has been in an accident cannot decide whether an emergency department visit is needed or not, contact Hulen Chiropractic in Fort Worth today or ask your regular medical doctor for advice. The risks associated with a possible neck injury are far too great to attempt to diagnose and self-treat.

Hulen Chiropractic Treatment

Our expert and experienced chiropractors at Hulen Chiropractic will recommend the following treatment options as part of your customized plan:

• Chiropractic Care
• Adjustments
• Decompression Traction
• Electrical Muscle Stimulation
• Ice or Heat therapy
• Ultrasound
• Physiotherapy
• Neck massage
• Immobilization of the neck with a soft cervical collar
• Early range of motion exercises combined with heat therapy starting 48 hours after the injury to restore flexibility

If you have been involved in an accident and are experiencing whiplash call us for an appointment at 817-346-0453.