Car Accident Injuries that our Chiropractors Treat
Car Accidents occur every day, because there are countless number’s of people driving every single day, and places like Atlanta, GA are no different. 
Georgia has been rated 11th for having the most reckless drivers in the United States. This means that your chances of being in an automotive accident is multiplied compared to drivers in other states. An automotive accident is very disruptive and sometimes requires prolonged medical attention. At Smith Chiropractic, we will help you to navigate the process and get you back to where you should be. We will work with your attorney or if you don’t have one recommend one that will insure you receive the care you need and the compensation you deserve.
Some automobile accidents only result in mild inconvenience with little to no bodily injuries while others are impactful leaving you with serious bodily injuries that disrupt all aspects of your life. Do not believe that because you were involved in a low impact collision or the fact that your car was only scratched that you should not get a medical or chiropractic check. Not getting checked can leave sustained injuries undiagnosed, and lack of timely treatment can cause injuries to resurface; later leading to both physical and financial pain.
Your ability to fully recover from these injuries depend to a large degree on the initial examination you received that identify the complex nature of the musculoskeletal injuries you sustained and the recommended treatment you need to address these injuries. Listed below are some of the most common car accident injuries seen and treated in our office.
1. Concussion
Post concussion syndrome is a series of symptoms experience by 70% of patients whose head was subjected to whiplash type injury or a forceful back and forward movement of the neck. A person suffering from post concussion syndrome usually experience symptoms like migraine type headache, dizziness on standing, anxiety and temporary memory loss; some of these symptoms will resolve over time but the headache and dizziness will persist due to the traumatic misalignment of the occiput caused by the whiplash that contribute to the symptoms. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms come in for an examination and treatment; as early treatment is essential and Chiropractic manipulation and physiotherapy has been most successful in resolving these injuries.
2. Neck pain induced headache
Neck pain induced headache also called Cervicogenic Headache is a condition that is experienced by approximately 70% of patients involved in auto accidents. Cervicogenic headache is a severe headache that starts at the back of the head then progress to the front of the head usually on one side. The typical cervicogenic headache sufferer will present with a stiff and tender neck, most pronounced at the back of the head; sudden movements of the neck would increase the intensity of the headache and neck pain and some people also experience dizziness. This type of headache does not respond well to over the counter pain medication and can last for hours or days but is effectively managed and resolved by chiropractic spinal manipulation.
3. Neck Pain
Ninety percent of patients that were involved in auto whiplash accidents suffers from neck pain. It is caused when the person’s neck is propelled violently forward then back, which would cause tearing to the muscles and ligaments in the neck and tearing to the nerve rich synovial capsule and disc. This would lead to traumatic misalignment or shifting of one or more of the bones in the neck; subjecting the patient to severe neck stiffness with pain, neck pain induced headache and may also cause shooting pain from the neck into the shoulders and hands with numbness and tingling in the hands. Whiplash induced neck pain responds extremely well to Chiropractic manipulation and physiotherapy.
4. Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical radiculopathy is a shooting type pain that can start on one side or both sides of the neck and travels down the shoulder to your lower arm or hand with numbness and tingling in the hands. This condition is mainly seen in patients that were involved in whiplash type accidents or accidents that involve a person’s head and neck striking a hard object as in the headrest in the car. This neck trauma can result in bulging or tear of the disc in the neck which may result in pinching or irritation of the nerves in the neck causing muscle spasm and radiating pain from the neck into the shoulder and hand. Cervical radiculopathy responds well to chiropractic manipulation combined with disc decompression therapy. Over 95% of our patient treated for cervical radiculopathy experience sustained relief from this condition.
5. Upper back pain
Upper back pain is a condition that affect over 90% of patients that were involved in auto whiplash accidents. It is caused when the person’s upper back is propelled violently forward then back resulting in tearing to the muscles and ligaments in the upper back and tearing to the nerve rich synovial capsule and disc leading to misalignment or shifting of the bones in the upper back. The traumatic misalignment or shifting of the thoracic vertebras would subject the patient to severe muscle spasm, upper back stiffness with localized and radiating type pain. Whiplash induced upper back pain responds well to Chiropractic manipulation and physiotherapy.
6. Lower back pain
Upper back pain is a condition that affect over 90% of patients that were involved in auto whiplash accidents. It is caused when the person’s upper back is propelled violently forward then back resulting in tearing to the muscles and ligaments in the upper back and tearing to the nerve rich synovial capsule and disc leading to misalignment or shifting of the bones in the upper back. The traumatic misalignment or shifting of the thoracic vertebras would subject the patient to severe muscle spasm, upper back stiffness with localized and radiating type pain. Whiplash induced upper back pain responds well to Chiropractic manipulation and physiotherapy.
7. Sciatic Radiculopathy
Sciatic radiculopathy or sciatica is a shooting type pain that starts in the lower back and travels down the back of one or both legs. This condition is experienced by approximately 40% of patients involved in auto whiplash accidents. It is caused when the vertebrae and disc in the lower back are suddenly thrown from weight being into hyperflexion then hyperextension. This may result in tearing to the synovial capsule of the lumbar facet joint and tearing to the annular fibers of the lumbar intervertebral disc; leading to bulging or herniation of the disc nucleus and pinching of one or more of the lumbar spinal nerves. This would subject the patient to severe localize or radiating type pain, tingling or numbing sensation in one or both feet and muscle weakness. Whiplash induced sciatica responds well to chiropractic manipulation combined with disc decompression therapy and physiotherapy. Over 95% of our patient treated for sciatic radiculopathy experience sustained relief from this condition.
8. Acute shoulder pain
Shoulder pain is a condition that is experienced by approximately 60% of patients who were involved in auto whiplash accident and is routinely missed by ER physician and Internist during examination. It is caused when the patient’s body is propelled violently forward causing the shoulder to impact the car window as it is restrained by the seat belt. This would result in tearing of the intrinsic muscle and ligaments in the shoulder and misalignment of the shoulder joint. This would subject the patient to severe shoulder restriction with pain. Whiplash induced shoulder pain responds well to chiropractic extremity manipulation combined with physiotherapy and shoulder rehabilitation exercises. Our office is one of few that specializes in extremity manipulation that is so essential to patients suffering this very painful injury.
9. Acute knee pain
Knee pain is a condition that is experienced by approximately 40% of patients who were involved in auto whiplash accident. It is caused when the patient’s body is propelled violently forward causing the knee to impact the car’s dashboard. This would result in contusion injury to the intrinsic muscle and ligaments in the knee joint and in some cases lead to severe tear to the cartilage and stabilizing ligaments within the knee. This would result in swelling of the knee and subject the patient to severe knee pain when getting from seated to standing position and when walking. Whiplash induced knee pain that does not involve severe tear to the cartilaginous surface of the knee responds well to chiropractic physiotherapy and rehabilitation exercises. Our office again specializes in extremity manipulation, which is essential to recovery from this condition.
10. Acute hip pain
Hip pain is a condition that is experienced by approximately 80% of patients who were involved in auto whiplash accident. It is caused when the patient’s lower back and hip is propelled violently forward then the hip is traumatically restrained by the seat belt forcing it back. This would result in tearing of the intrinsic muscle and ligaments in the lower back and hip and tear to the synovial capsule of the hip joint. This would result in traumatic misalignment of the hip joint causing inflammation of the hip synovial capsule. This would subject the patient to severe hip pain when in the seated or standing position and would cause restriction with pain when patient tries to bend at the waist and when walking. Whiplash induced hip pain responds well to chiropractic manipulation combined with physiotherapy.