Whiplash... not just a pain in the neck.

The other evening I was visiting with two friends one of whom is an ER nurse and the

other is an MD. They were commenting on the number of patients that they see with injuries after a snowstorm. This winter we have certainly not had much snow but when it does these injuries are usually from slips and falls on icy driveways.

Of course Chiropractic care won't treat a broken bone, but it can treat sprains and strains from slips and falls and particularly from car accidents. As I drive around our beautiful community I am always amazed by how many people are texting or otherwise distracted while driving. I am not sure if that is the cause but we have certainly seen an increase in the number of personal injury patients that we treat. Many times a patient will call several days after an auto accident. They felt fine at first, but then they start having headaches, some tightness in their neck or shoulders, or maybe they are having a hard time sleeping. Often they have been to their primary care physician and been prescribed pain pills or muscle relaxants, both of which may help cover the symptoms, but neither will get to the underlying cause.

Did you know that even at low speed there are three impacts in a vehicle accident? The first is the two vehicles colliding. The second is your body hitting the steering wheel or side of the car, or your head on the head rest, and thirdly, your brain impacts your skull along with other internal organs shifting.

Our bodies are amazing and will do all they can to heal and repair, but after an automobile accident they need a little help. I know one patient that was in an accident ten years ago and didn't think any treatment was necessary at the time. Today they have issues that could have been reduced or eliminated had they taken care of themselves at that time. A comprehensive plan of therapy including massage, exercise and chiropractic can help decrease pain and long term effects and get you back on the road to recovery quickly.