Car Accident Treatment in Pittsburgh, PA

These Injuries Can Cause Pain For Years Without Proper Treatment

Auto accident injuries often lead to late-onset symptoms.  Immediately after the accident, you often may feel okay.  But weeks, months, or years later, you may develop a nagging symptom. Getting a workup by a chiropractor soon after being in an accident may save you unnecessary suffering.  During a collision, the body is subjected to sudden forces.  Even collisions as low as 8 miles per hour can cause harm to the ligaments, tendons, discs, joints, and other tissues.

Misalignments of the bones in the spine may also occur.  These misalignments may cause pressure on the delicate nerves, causing problems wherever the nerves go.  This may occur even if no apparent injuries have occurred.  You may not realize your body has sustained a serious injury after the accident.

The following symptoms are common after a car accident:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Whiplash
• Back pain
• Headaches and migraines
• Joint pain
• Numbness and tingling
• Shoulder pain
• Arm, hand or wrist pain
• Difficulty concentrating
• Blurry vision
• Sciatica and leg pain
• TMJ (Jaw and facial pain)

Some of these injuries (like whiplash, sciatica, and low back pain) may indicate that a bulging or herniated disc injury may have occurred.  This can often lead to years of suffering because a proper diagnosis was never made.

Pittsburgh chiropractor Dr. Kevin Smith can diagnose auto accident injuries right after they happen, providing chiropractic care for immediate and long-term pain relief and recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does your body feel after a car accident?

After being injured in a car accident you will often experience symptoms of acute inflammation. This includes swelling, redness (of the affected areas), pain, and heat. Sometimes you may also experience pulled muscles, ligament sprains, broken bones, and stiffness.

Why does pain get worse after a car accident?

Sometimes a car accident injury can be considered a “delayed response injury”. This means that symptoms might now show up immediately after the accident. But days, weeks, months, or even years later, symptoms may appear that can be traced back to the auto accident. It is common for people to get migraines, arthritis, or even TMJ symptoms as a result of an old whiplash injury. But because time lapses between the injury and the onset of symptoms, people mistakenly think there is nothing connecting them.

Why am I so tired after a car accident?

According to some sources, the reason for feeling tired after a car accident is due to a concussion or other brain injuries.

What is whiplash?

Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by a sudden forward and then backward motion. It is frequently caused by a car accident (particularly from being rear-ended). The damage affects the soft tissues of the neck (muscles, tendons, ligaments), the neurology (spinal cord, spinal nerves, and even the brainstem), and the bones in the neck (which can be knocked out of alignment).

Besides whiplash, what are some of the other injuries encountered from being in a car accident?

It is common to see problems with the low back, hips, knees, foot & ankle, shoulder, elbow, hands & wrist & TMJ.

What are the most effective treatments for auto accident injuries?

Chiropractic care is the #1 most effective treatment for auto accident injuries. Study after study has shown superior clinical results with chiropractic adjustments compared to medications or exercise. In addition to being extremely effective, chiropractic is also the safest therapy known to man. It’s a drug-free, non-surgical solution enjoyed by tens of millions of Americans each year.

Do I need a referral from my medical doctor to seek treatment from a chiropractor?

For automobile accident injuries, you do not need a referral or permission from your medical doctor to get care from a chiropractor.