Whether it was a little fender bender in a parking lot or a major collision on a highway, auto accidents can cause major damage to your body, especially your spine. If you were lucky enough to escape the accident without any broken bones it does not mean that you escaped without injury. If the impact was enough to dent the metal in your car it is definitely enough to cause a shift in your spine and/or significant soft tissue injury.
Many times after an accident those involved feel fine initially. They may go to the hospital to get checked out and after the x-rays show no broken bones they are usually prescribed a pain killer and sent on their way. However many times it is over the next couple of days, weeks or even months that symptoms may start to arise. A stiff neck or headaches are the most common complaint that we hear in the weeks following an accident. During the accident your spine may have shifted out of position and started pushing on the nerves coming out of your spinal cord that travel to the various parts of your body. This causes improper firing of the nerves, leading to pain, muscle spasms or even numbness and tingling in the individual. The doctors at SpineCare are specially trained to examine your spine, determine where the misalignments are, and restore your spine to its normal position. If you have ever been involved in a car accident we strongly encourage you to have your spine check. The longer the problem goes unaddressed the worse the long term effects can be. We have seen what the slightest impact can do to the overall alignment of the spine.
Below are two x-rays of the same patient before and after an accident. The first x-ray was taken 5 weeks before the accident occured. In the first x-ray the patients cervcial spine looks good, she has maintained a nice lordosis (C curve) in her neck. In the second x-ray taken one week following a minor car accident you can see that the alignment of her cervical spine has completely changed. She has completely lost the nice lordosis (C curve) she had in her neck. As a result she was experiencing constant neck pain and sharp shooting pain into her right arm.
So if you have ever been in an accident, even a minor one we encourage you to have your spine checked to ensure that no underlying damage has been done. The sooner the better. Contact us for free consultation.
SpineCare Chiropractic Center 919-460-4546