Auto Injuries

Motor Vehicle Injuries

What should I do if I'm injured? Common Injuries What is whiplash? Is there any treatment? Note to injury patients

Motor Vehicle Injuries

What should I do if I'm injured? Understanding what to do when an accident happens, and what types of injuries can occur may save you time, money, and long-term medical care. A prompt physical examination is the best advice. Confer  with your doctor of chiropractic who will determine the extent of any injuries. Doctors of Chiropractic are particularly well-qualified to detect and treat a wide variety of injuries including neck pain, mid back pain and low back pain, as well as other related injuries.

Common Injuries

Low-Velocity Injuries (under 10 mph), usually result from the rapid movement of the body during the accident. This movement may result in muscle strain, seat belt bruises or other various musculoskeletal conditions.  Other symptoms may be delayed, but pain and stiffness may occur days after impact. High-Velocity Injuries (over 10 mph), usually result from a second impact, the body hitting objects inside the vehicle such as the dashboard, steering wheel, or window. Common injuries of this kind include shoulder, head or knee bruises, wrist fractures, neck sprains, concussions, and a variety of contusions.

What is whiplash?

What is whiplash Whiplash-a soft tissue injury to the neck-is also called neck sprain or neck strain. It is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck, usually because of sudden extension and flexion. The disorder commonly occurs as the result of an automobile accident and may include injury to intervertebral joints, discs, and ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots. Symptoms such as neck pain may be present directly after the injury or may be delayed for several days. In addition to neck pain, other symptoms may include neck stiffness, injuries to the muscles and ligaments, headache, dizziness, abnormal sensations such as burning or prickling, or shoulder or back pain. In addition, some people experience cognitive, somatic, or psychological conditions such as memory loss, concentration impairment, nervousness/irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue, or depression.

Is there any treatment?

Treatment for individuals with whiplash may include chiropractic manipulation, range of motion exercises, physical therapy.

Note to patients

Note to patients Patients involved in traumatic injuries have special needs. Since traumatic injuries often involve high velocity and violent movements which have the potential to injure bones, muscles, ligaments, nerve and organ structures your doctor needs to be prepared to triage and direct your care. The doctor needs to be capable of making decisions regarding emergent care and medical specialty referral. The New Haven Chiropractic physicians acknowledge their specialized area of expertise and are trained to recognize the need for immediate medical referrals when conditions present which may be life threatening or beyond their scope of expertise. In addition to the physician management issues, your treating doctor needs to be aware of the medical-legal concerns of a traumatically injured patient. What does that mean? Generally, that the doctor in charge of your health care recognizes that at some time in the future he may be called upon to offer an opinion regarding your injuries. Specifically, it means that the doctor documents your care so that when asked by insurance adjusters, lawyers, jurors and judges to offer an opinion the opinions are supported by notes, reports, specialty opinions and imaging procedures. It also means that they are prepared to effectively communicate the facts so that your health management history is accurately and fairly represented to the interested parties. The New Haven Chiropractic physicians have the training and experience necessary to provide you the necessary care, including helping you reduce your pain and help to resume your normal daily activities. THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE AND THE LINKS ARE FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.