Each year thousands of Martin County residents are involved in car accidents. Here are 3 reasons to choose chiropractic care after a car accident. Some car accidents cause minor damage while others cause major damage. The severity of the damage to vehicles and the severity of the injuries vary. Did you know that the vehicle […]
Chiropractic Care
3 Reasons to Choose Chiropractic Care after a Car Accident
Each year thousands of Martin County residents are involved in car accidents. Here are 3 reasons to choose chiropractic care after a car accident.
Some car accidents cause minor damage while others cause major damage. The severity of the damage to vehicles and the severity of the injuries vary. Did you know that the vehicle crash damage does not directly correlate to the degree of occupant injury? It’s true. A study published in the Society of Automotive Engineers, 1 dispels this widely held myth. That means, even if your car accident was minor, your injuries could be serious, even life altering.
Unfortunately, it’s common for people to develop chronic issues as a result of a seemingly minor accident. What’s worse, you may not be aware that you’ve been injured immediately following the accident.
Chiropractic care is the best option for musculoskeletal injuries, including those suffered in car accidents. As a chiropractor, Dr. Danielle can treat many of these injuries without drugs or surgery. Fortunately, the injuries suffered in most minor auto accidents don’t require surgery and drugs. However, if prescription drugs and/or surgery are required to restore you to optimal functionality, Dr. Danielle will provide guidance in finding the right resources to help you achieve this goal.
Here are the top three reasons to choose chiropractic care after a car accident in Martin County, FL
#1: Imaging can’t catch micro-tears that are caused by a car accident.
Unfortunately, medical imaging such as X-rays or MRIs can’t detect the micro-tears in ligaments and muscles after a traumatic injury like those resulting from an auto accident. These microscopic tears in the muscle are why you may wake up with severe pain the day after an accident. Whiplash is a soft tissue neck injury that occurs when the neck snaps back and forth in a rapid motion. That rapid snapping back and forth causes microscopic tears in the neck muscles.
Soft-tissue injuries (a.k.a. micro-tears in ligaments and muscles) like whiplash can take a long time to heal. One study found that more than 70 percent of people who visited the emergency room after a car accident were still in pain six weeks later. Other researchers have noted that nearly half of whiplash sufferers continue to experience symptoms three months later, while 25 percent remain symptomatic for six months.2
Traumatic injuries such as those suffered in a car accident often include micro-tears and micro lesions. These cause inflammation which in turn causes pain. 3 Studies show that chiropractic adjustments help the body release anti-inflammatory Interleukin 6 (IL-6)4. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays an integral role in the body’s healing ability, including trauma, burns, cancers and infections.5
#2: Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident Helps Heal Internal Scar Tissues
When you hear the word “scar tissue” you might think of the scar from a nasty fall off your bike when you were young. Your body also forms this special type of tissue inside your body when your ligaments and muscles are injured. Just as the scar tissue you see on your skin doesn’t look or act like your undamaged skin, the scar tissue inside your body doesn’t have the same elasticity or mobility of uninjured soft tissue.
When scar tissue forms in the ligaments, especially those in your neck or back, it can lead to long term pain and reduced mobility. Scar tissue continues to grow and change throughout the recovery process which may take from twelve to eighteen months.6 Prompt chiropractic care after a car accident is very effective at remodeling scar tissue. Chiropractic treatment and stretching of scar tissue helps align the collagen fibers, allowing it tolerate daily activities. 7
Studies show that car accident victims treated within one week of their accident saw the best overall improvement. 8 Many chiropractors refer to this time period as the “golden week” because the inflammatory reaction which occurs during this period, if left unchecked, will produce scars and adhesions that make future management more difficult.
#3: Chiropractic Care After a Car Accident Releases Pain Relieving Hormones
Studies also show that chiropractic care helps release pain reducing hormones.9 These hormones provide natural pain relief from both acute and chronic pain. They will help relieve the pain from the acute injuries suffered in a car accident. Fortunately, they don’t stop there! They will also help any other areas that were causing pain before the accident.
Unfortunately, turning to pain pills can actually make pain worse in the long run. Contrary to marketing messages that imply otherwise, pain medications do not speed up the healing process. Pain medications (both OTC and prescription) can be very beneficial for the first 7 – 10 days after a traumatic injury. Used in the short term, these can provide symptomatic relief while chiropractic care breaks up scar tissue and adhesions, relieving stiffness, pain and the discomfort it causes.
We’re learning that you won’t find the solution to pain – even chronic pain – in a pill. Not only are opioid medications dangerous and addictive, they can actually cause your pain to worsen. Studies show that when you use an opioid, it sets off a chain of immune signals in the spinal cord that amplify pain rather than dulling it, even after the drug leaves the body. 10
Prompt Chiropractic Care is Key
The key to optimal recovery after an auto accident is prompt chiropractic care. Chiropractic care will allow you to continue to stay active after your car accident.
If you or someone you know has been in a car accident and you need chiropractic treatment, call 855-509-5400 to schedule an appointment.
Preventing Running Injuries
When this appeared in my news feed, I was intrigued. Tiger Woods on career regret: Running ‘destroyed my body and my knees.’
“Tiger Woods was asked by a fan what he would tell his younger self The five-time Masters winner responded, ‘Not to run so much.’ Woods would run 30 miles a week for the first six years of his Tour. He believes that it ultimately caused him injuries resulting in four back and five knee surgeries “
Of course, other factors played a role in Tiger’s injuries, including the biomechanics of the golf swing. The modern golf swing encourages maximum rotation of the spine relative to the hips. This increased twisting of the lumbar spine, combined with a more powerful downswing, puts increased force on spinal discs and facet joints and tremendous pressure on the trailing side of the spine. It’s why 72 % of pro golfers receive regular chiropractic care provided by PGA chiropractic staff.1
However, from what I have seen in my practice, I would agree with Tiger. Running is extremely hard on your body. If you choose to run to stay fit, your top priority should be to prevent running injuries.
In my practice I see a fair number of runners and their injuries related to running, especially new runners. Most of my new to running patients have started running to get in shape and/or lose weight or to condition for another sport such as golf. These injuries vary in severity but are most often straightforward to treat. I will send the patient off with strong recommendations for cross training. I also make a referral to a specialty running shoe store to be fitted for appropriate shoes. Sadly, patients do not always follow my advice. When they don’t, they end up back in my office with the same or new injury due to their new workout routine. This can be very frustrating for the patient. They want to get in shape or improve their golf game, but injuries set them back and leave them feeling discouraged.
This brings me back to the Tiger Woods article. Are golfers and other athletes setting themselves up for failure by running? In my opinion many are. It may be an unpopular opinion but as a practicing chiropractor, I believe now more than ever, “Not everyone should be a runner.” There I said it, out loud. Here’s why.
Running is a high impact, repetitive activity that puts a lot of stress on your body. This can lead to both acute and chronic injuries, especially if proper protocol is not followed. I have seen countless injuries from running that could have been avoided if an alternative exercise had been chosen. There are several exercises that can be just as effective in weight loss and conditioning without the risk of injury or high impact running. These activities include bike riding, walking, and swimming. When I see a patient who is running and is plagued by injuries, it’s time for a serious discussion about alternative forms of exercise. I want to help them achieve their fitness goals without the pain and injuries.
I say this not to dismantle the running community. However, I want to say that running isn’t for everyone and that is okay. There are alternative forms of exercise that are effective and may be better suited for your body type. Do not be ashamed if running is not for you.
Preventing Running Injuries
If running is your passion, then you need to do so safely and effectively. In order to prevent injuries, you need to do more than just throwing on a pair of well-worn tennis shoes and head out the door.
Sixty percent of runners experience an injury severe enough to sideline them from activity.
There are many injuries that can occur while running including:
- broken bones
- lacerations and sprains
- overuse or chronic injuries
Acute injuries such as broken bones, lacerations and sprains require immediate medical attention. However, running involves a low-grade, abnormal force being applied repeatedly over a prolonged period of time. These are classified as overuse injuries.
Overuse injuries from running include:
- stress fractures,
- shin splints,
- iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome,
- runners’ knee,
- achilles tendonitis,
- plantar fasciitis
The thing about overuse injuries is that they happen slowly over time. So, if your hip starts hurting for no apparent reason, you should suspect that the pain is from an overuse injury.
If you’re going to run for exercise, you must address four key factors:
These factors are proper shoes, flexibility, strengthening and training schedules.
#1 Proper shoes: I can’t overstate the importance of proper footwear if you’re going to run. Shoes are the only equipment you need to run. The wrong shoe or an ill fitted shoe can wreak havoc on your body if not appropriate for your foot and running style.
The best way to avoid injury is to prevent it. Since running shoes are the only protective equipment runners have to safeguard themselves from injury, choosing the correct running shoe is important. I refer my patients to a specialty running store close to my office to ensure they have the right shoes for them.
#2 Flexibility: Lack of flexibility can make one prone to overuse injuries such as iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome, shin splints, runners’ knee, and achilles tendonitis. This is where cross-training is important. Yoga and Pilates can directly improve your flexibility.
#3 Strengthening: Appropriate strength of the core and other major muscle groups are crucial for high impact exercise. This is another time where cross-training is important. Such cross-training options include Yoga, Pilates, and Strength training with weights. These can offer reduced risk of injury, activation of other muscle groups and aid in injury recovery without sacrificing fitness level.
#4 Training Schedules: Many researchers acknowledge that “training error” is the main source of injury. These training errors include rapidly changing the volume ran and/or rapidly changing the running pace. Both changes can lead to their own set of injuries.
A study published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy 1 showed that rapid change in running volume may lead to the development of patellofemoral pain syndrome, iliotibial band syndrome, and patellar tendinopathy, while change in running pace may be associated with the development of Achilles tendinopathy, gastrocnemius injuries, and plantar fasciitis.
In plain English, runners need to stick to a training schedule and plan the distance and pace according to your fitness levels. There are many couch-to-5k programs for the novice runner as well as apps that you can download that will help to customize a plan for your fitness levels and goals.
Regardless of your training schedule, you must warm-up before running and stretch after running. This will help to avoid injury and keep you on track. If you do not have time to warm-up and stretch afterward you do not have time to run.
Even with the best preparation and a strict adherence to your training schedule, running injuries can still happen.
If an injury occurs it is important to react appropriately. A 2017 survey 2 asked athletes and coaches, “Which factors do you believe influence the risk of running injuries?” An overwhelming majority of the athletes and coaches reported “Ignoring pain” as a risk factor for running injury.
If you have an acute pain, you should seek medical attention ASAP.
For an overuse injury the following first aid is recommended:
- Reduce training, using pain as a guide
- Apply ice to injured area 15 to 20 minutes, three to four times per day
- Use compression to decrease swelling
- Elevate injured area if possible
- Take aspirin or ibuprofen as directed on package instructions. If you need to take OTC pain relievers for more than seven days, seek treatment with knowledgeable medical professional such as a chiropractor or physical therapist.
To prevent further injury, determining the cause of an injury (e.g., tight muscle or weak hip muscles) is key. This is where you need to find a knowledgeable chiropractor or physical therapist.
You should see a knowledgeable chiropractor or physical therapist if:
- Pain continues despite decreased training
- Pain persists beyond 10-14 days
- Pain medications are needed to train
- Pain resolves with rest, but recurs once you resume training
Did running play a part in Tiger Woods’ myriad of injuries? Most likely, especially combined with the physically demanding sport of golf. What if he had been instructed to cross-train instead of running 30 plus miles a week? Would he have been able to avoid his injuries and surgeries? Perhaps, but hindsight is 20/20. Which is why I’m sharing this information with you now.
The best advice is listen to your body. Pain is a signal that something is wrong. Don’t ignore it. When in doubt, seek a professional’s help.
Looking for Effective Gentle Chiropractic Care?
Residents of Martin County FL and the surrounding areas may not be aware that they have the option of choosing gentle chiropractic care. Dr. Danielle Hurd, DC at Advanced Wellness Solutions in Stuart, Florida provides effective yet gentle chiropractic care.
WHAT IS GENTLE CHIROPRACTIC?
A gentle chiropractic spinal manipulation is performed with a gentle touch targeting a specific area. There’s no vigorous twisting involved. Dr. Danielle uses different techniques and patient positioning to deliver gentle chiropractic care. She achieves the same benefits with gentle chiropractic care that can be seen from traditional spinal adjustments.
This approach allows patients to get the maximum benefit from a minimal number of visits.
Dr. Danielle has actually had patients who were initially disappointed with her gentle chiropractic approach. These patients thought they couldn’t feel better without the twisting, popping and sometimes initial pain they experienced elsewhere. Her patients are delighted to learn that gentle chiropractic care allows them to get the maximum benefit from a minimal number of visits.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE AND GENTLE CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
For example, let’s look at how spinal adjustments of the neck are performed. In traditional chiropractic care, you’ll lie face up on a table. The chiropractor will take your neck and pull it while twisting your head. This vigorous adjustment is effective but is often the reason some fear seeking chiropractic care.
When Dr. Danielle adjusts your neck, you’ll begin by lying face down on the table. She will then have you position your head and then deliver a gentle, downward force. You may hear a pop – but you won’t have your neck twisted and snapped. For those patients who prefer the traditional vigorous neck adjustment, Dr. Danielle is happy to oblige. However, most of her patients prefer her gentle prone approach to neck adjustments.
GENTLE CHIROPRACTIC FOR EFFECTIVE DRUG FREE PAIN RELIEF
If are in pain, you probably don’t need to be sold on the benefits of gentle chiropractic care. Many people who’ve been seriously injured in an auto accident are anxious at their first visit. They’re afraid she’s going to twist and contort them when they’re already experiencing extreme pain. They are relieved to learn that she practices gentle chiropractic care.
The Activator Method is one of the effective, gentle chiropractic care techniques used at Advanced Wellness Solutions. a small, hand-held instrument Dr. Danielle uses a small, hand-held instrument to deliver a gentle impulse force to the spine with the goal of restoring motion to the targeted spinal vertebra or joint. The patient is either seated comfortably or lying face down on the chiropractic table while this device is used. There’s no twisting or popping with this gentle modality which makes it ideal for anyone suffering from severe acute or chronic pain.
WHY GENTLE CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
Dr. Danielle provides gentle chiropractic care because knows what it’s like to be injured in a serious car crash. She was involved in a near head-on collision on while traveling on State Road 60 on her way to USF’s Tampa campus. While she was extremely fortunate to have walked away from the accident, she was still seriously injured. Her injuries caused her to have trigeminal neuralgia.
Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by excruciating pain in the distribution of one or more branches of the fifth cranial nerve. In fact, it is considered to be the worst pain known to medicine.1 The pain caused by this condition is so severe, it’s been given the nickname, “the suicide disease.”
Dr. Danielle was fortunate to find a female chiropractor who used effective, gentle chiropractic care to treat her injuries. She was able to relieve her trigeminal neuralgia by effectively treating the injuries she suffered in her automobile accident.
While Dr. Danielle’s injuries forced her to drop out of college for a semester, they helped her choose her career. It’s why after she graduated from Palmer, she worked in two high volume personal injury clinics prior to opening her own practice. Her goal has always been to provide gentle, effective pain relief to people who have been seriously injured like she was. Today she offers that gentle chiropractic care at her Kanner Highway, Stuart Florida location.
Your Hip or Knee Pain Could Be IT Band Syndrome
IT band syndrome is not a hot new musical group but rather it’s a medical term. IT band is short for iliotibial band. it may also be called hip bursitis or greater trochanteric bursitis.
Try saying “iliotibial band” five times fast and you’ll understand why your chiropractor will refer to it as your IT band.
The IT band is a group of fibers that run from your hip to your knee along the outside of your upper leg. These fibers help the muscles in your thigh provide stability to the outside of the knee joint. If your IT band becomes too tight, it causes inflammation. Inflammation causes pain. You may feel this pain at the top of the IT band (at your hip) or at the bottom (near your knee). You can tell where the fibers are inflamed by the location of your pain.
One of the most common causes of IT band syndrome is a sudden increase in your activity level. If you’re on your feet at work all day and begin working longer hours, you might be feeling the effects of IT band syndrome. If you’re a runner who has increased your distance, duration or speed, hip or knee pain could be signaling IT band syndrome. Even golfers can experience IT band syndrome. If you’re a golfer who is experiencing knee pain in the leading leg, it could be IT band syndrome.
IT band syndrome is not limited to athletes. Anyone can experience IT band syndrome. If you’re having hip pain and/or knee pain on the outside of your knee, mechanical problems in your gait could cause IT band syndrome.
Since the IT band runs along the outside of your upper leg, it can present itself in a variety of ways.
- You may feel pain on the outside of your knee when you’re walking or running.
- You might hear a clicking sensation where the band rubs against the knee
- You may feel like your hip or knee feels hot and red.
- Your hip or outside of your knee may be tender to the touch.
- You might experience a rubbing feeling on the side of your knee.
- You might feel pain/tenderness in your buttocks.
IT band syndrome pain usually lasts beyond the activity, i.e. it hurts even after you stop the activity. IT band syndrome can be very painful, and often hurts even more if you try to run through it.
IT band syndrome responds well with chiropractic treatment. Treatment can take up to six weeks. In addition to the modalities used by a chiropractor to treat this issue, you’ll also need to avoid activities like running, cycling, golfing or taking long flights of stairs.
If you live in or near Stuart, Florida and need treatment for IT band syndrome, call 855-509-5400 to schedule an appointment.
You Should Know: Car Accident Emotional Aftermath
It’s natural to focus on the extent of your physical injuries after a car accident. After all, even in a minor fender bender, your body is exposed to powerful and violent forces. Even if you were lucky enough to escape the accident without life threatening physical injuries, you might be surprised by the flood of emotions that can come after a car accident.
It’s natural to experience strong emotions such as shock, guilt, grief, helplessness, confusion, and fear after a motor vehicle accident. Some patients report continuing to feel afraid even though they know the danger posed by the accident has passed. Others report experiencing mood swings. Some report periods of crying uncontrollably. The feelings of sadness or depression after a car accident are very common, and can be intense. Be sure to tell your treating chiropractor or physician if these feelings are stopping you from doing your normal daily activities.
Another natural and common reaction to your car accident is increased anxiety. You may also feel anger, irritability, and agitation. These feelings may be directed at the other driver (even if you were at fault) or you may take your anger out on your loved ones, friends and co-workers.
On the other end of the spectrum are feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame (even if you weren’t at fault). You may find yourself ruminating on what you could have done or not done to prevent the accident.
Immediately after your car accident, it is normal to feel a flood of emotions, like those listed above. However, if you are still battling these post-accident emotional symptoms more than 3 months after your accident, you may be suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This is a condition that can develop after any type of traumatizing event.
Car accidents can trigger PTSD symptoms including experiencing flashbacks of the accident. In fact, research 1 has shown that an estimated 39.2% of motor vehicle accident survivors develop PTSD as a result.
Many suffering with PTSD also simultaneously have an intense fear of driving and/or a related anxiety disorder.
Returning to driving after a car accident
If your injuries won’t prevent you from driving for the rest of your life, at some point you’ll have to get back behind the wheel of a car. You’ll probably feel some anxiety the first time behind the wheel. You may even feel anxiety riding as a passenger in the car. Rest assured that this is natural.
Once back behind the wheel, you’ll probably find that you drive more cautiously than before. If your accident was at night, you may experience extra high anxiety around night driving.
If you’ve been in a car accident, you probably have questions. Fortunately, Dr. Danielle Hurd, DC of Advanced Wellness Solutions has many of the answers you need including:
- Is what I’m experiencing normal?
- How long will it be until I feel better?
The Chiropractor You Choose Makes a Difference
Dr. Danielle Hurd, DC knows first hand the emotional aftermath of surviving a car crash. While attending USF to obtain her BS in biomedical science, she was injured in a car accident– a near head on collision on part of SR 60 that is only 2 lanes. The other driver had tried to pass a semi-truck on his way to work. It was early morning, so when she saw the other driver’s headlights emerge from behind the semi-truck, she veered off the road quickly. Had she not reacted as quickly as she did, the other driver would have hit her head on. Instead, his pick-up truck struck her just behind the driver’s door, tearing a hole in the rear door of the mini-van she was driving.
When the police arrived at the scene of the accident, they had been told they were responding to a fatality accident. They were relieved to see her standing outside her vehicle. Even though the vehicle she was driving was obviously a total loss, she thought she wasn’t injured immediately following the accident. Only when the adrenaline rush wore off did she realize how seriously she was injured.
The injuries from Dr. Danielle’s accident caused trigeminal neuralgia, which is described as the most excruciating pain known to humanity. While her injuries and resulting pain forced her to leave school for a semester, it helped her to choose her career. Thanks to the care she received from her chiropractor (who encouraged her to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic), she was able to return to USF the next semester and complete her bachelor’s degree. She went on to graduate in 2014 from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange Florida.
This is why Dr. Danielle makes it a point to create a soothing, nurturing office environment at Advanced Wellness Solutions. She’s had first-hand experience and understands the intense feelings that are very common—and very real – when recovering from an auto accident. It’s why her office has not one but two “office dogs.” Wanda and William both seem to know when patients need emotional support. However, they’re kept confined behind a glass door into the front desk in case patients are afraid of dogs.
The doctor you choose makes a difference. If you or someone you know has been in a car accident, call 855-509-5400 to make an appointment with Dr. Danielle Hurd, DC.
What You Should Do After a Car Accident in Stuart, Florida
Florida has a reputation for “bad” and “aggressive” drivers. For those who live or work in Stuart, Florida, if you haven’t been in a car accident recently, you probably know someone who has. Just because we live in paradise doesn’t mean life here is perfect – or predictable.
Being in a car accident, even a minor one, can be traumatic and frightening. The moments during a car crash are often violent. Your body is subjected to extreme forces that can affect your body in unexpected ways. You can be injured in a seemingly minor fender bender.
If you’re able to escape your vehicle after the accident, you may think you weren’t seriously injured. It’s important to know that it could be weeks – or even months – before the full extent of your injuries are known. Even if you go to the hospital immediately following your car accident, some injuries like whiplash, traumatic brain injury and even spinal cord injury may not be immediately evident, even with appropriate imaging!
Following a car accident, it may take time for you to begin thinking clearly enough to make sound judgments and important decisions. That’s why we’ve created this checklist to help.
Here are 7 things you need to do if you’ve been in a car accident in Stuart or Martin County, Florida:
#1: DO NOT LEAVE THE SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT.
Even if it’s a minor fender bender, stay at the scene. If it’s your fault, stay at the scene. Even if your car is the only one involved in the accident, stay at the scene. If you leave, you could face felony charges.
#2: CALL THE POLICE.
Even if there are no apparent injuries, you should still call the police. You’ll need a police report to file a claim with your insurance company.
#3: TAKE PICTURES.
Use your phone to take pictures of the vehicles and the scene while you wait for the police to arrive. If you have visible injuries, you should document them with photographs as well. The worst case scenario is you won’t need these images. It’s better to have these images and not need them rather than need these images and not have them.
#4: WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVE.
Tell the investigating officer(s) exactly what happened. When asked if you’re injured, say that you’re not sure. This is the truth. There’s no way you can know immediately after your accident if you were injured.
As your accident was happening, your body released a burst of the hormone adrenaline. This hormone decreases your ability to feel pain, increases your strength, and sharpens your mental focus. (If you watched the accident happen in slow motion, you can thank adrenaline for that.) Because of this adrenaline rush, it may be days before you realize the extent of your injuries.
#5: GET WITNESS INFORMATION.
If there are witnesses, you should get their contact information.
#6: SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.
You should be seen by a doctor, ER physician or chiropractor within 14 days of your car accident. You should do this even if you don’t feel any pain or soreness. Many injuries – especially whiplash and head trauma are not immediately apparent. You can sustain serious, life altering injuries in seemingly minor accidents. If you lost consciousness or were dazed – even a short period of time – you may have suffered a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Even if you just “bumped your head” in the accident, that minor injury can be deadly if it caused bleeding in the brain. The symptoms of TBI may not appear for weeks – or even months. That’s why it is so important to see a physician or chiropractor after a car accident.
#7: CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY
Car owners in Florida are covered under PIP, or No-Fault insurance. This means that you can receive treatments for your injuries even if you were at fault for the accident. In order to activate your PIP insurance benefits, you have to file a claim with the insurance company and you must schedule an appointment with a doctor or chiropractor within 14 days of the accident. Your PIP insurance benefits will cover 80% of the cost of this visit.
You should know that you don’t have to hire an attorney to access these benefits and an attorney is not required to receive treatment for your injuries.
If your injuries are serious, you may need more medical care than is provided by your PIP benefits. If this is the case, Dr. Danielle Hurd, DC will give you the names of attorneys who expertly handle personal injury cases.
Finally, don’t be upset if your primary care physician refuses to treat you for injuries suffered in a car accident. You wouldn’t be upset if your primary care physician didn’t want to perform open heart surgery on you. After a car accident, it’s important to see a medical professional who is experienced working with the severe trauma that can result from even low impact car crashes. Chiropractors receive specialized training in treating the musculoskeletal injuries common in car accidents.
If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident, call us today at 855-509-5400.
Is Your Smartphone Use Causing Your Neck Pain?
You should know that “text neck” is not an official medical diagnosis. Instead it’s a description of a repetitive stress injury from the way you hold your head while using a mobile device.
Text Neck Causes
Text neck a.k.a. postural syndrome is caused by forward head posture and rounded shoulders. When you’re in this position, muscles in the neck, chest, and upper back can become imbalanced due to prolonged forward head posture. Over time, this imbalance can make it difficult to maintain good posture.
A healthy cervical spine has curves that begin by gently curving forward from the base of the skull. A healthy spine then curves backward into the top of the chest/upper back. When the head drifts forward in poor posture it causes an unnatural, forward positioning of the head and cervical spine. This creates additional stress on the inter-vertebral discs, vertebrae, and facet joints, which may accelerate spinal degeneration.
Text Neck Pain
Text neck isn’t limited to pain in your neck. Instead, you may feel pain in your upper back, and/or your shoulders. You may have a stabbing or intense pain in one spot or you may feel sore over a broader region. For example, you might have pain spanning from the bottom of the neck and into the shoulder(s). In addition to upper back pain, shoulder pain and neck pain, you may also be experiencing headaches.
If you notice that your pain increases when your neck is flexed forward into the position that originally caused the problem, then that’s a sign that you may have text neck.
Text Neck Impact
The stiffness resulting from text neck can reduce your mobility. Your neck, upper back, and shoulders may all experience tightness and reduced mobility. This reduced mobility can make driving dangerous.
Text neck can also cause headaches. These headaches are a result of muscle spasms in the neck and shoulders.This pain can then be referred from the neck and shoulders up into the head. Excessive amounts of time looking at screens, regardless of posture, may also increase the risk for eyestrain and headache.
Text Neck Treatment
Chiropractic care is ideally suited to treating neck pain, no matter what the cause. A careful patient history and physical exam can help to determine whether the pain and/or stiffness in your neck is caused by a repetitive stress injury, such as text neck or tech neck.
If a more serious cause of your neck pain is suspected, such as nerve root compression, fracture, or a serious underlying medical condition, Dr. Danielle will order imaging, nerve conduction studies and other tests to confirm her diagnosis.
Schedule your appointment today by calling 855-509-5400.
You Should Know: Sleep Helps You Heal
Pain can keep you from getting healthy sleep. Sleep is critically important to healing from injuries as well as maintaining good health.
If you’re not getting a good night’s sleep, you’re not alone. The American Sleep Association estimates that 50-70 million adults in the US have a sleep disorder.
Though the exact mechanisms are not fully understood, the current research suggests that individuals with a sleep disorder may be more likely to develop chronic pain and people with chronic pain are more likely to have trouble sleeping.1
A growing body of evidence suggests that sleep problems pose an important risk for the development of musculoskeletal pain in adolescents. A large cross-sectional study involving 6986 adolescents found short sleep time to be a risk factor associated with regional musculoskeletal pain, particularly chronic regional pain and chronic widespread pain.2
Why Sleep is Important
When you crawl into bed to go to sleep, you might think your body is shutting down and resting. We now know nothing could be further from the truth. Sleepy time is when your body performs many “heavy lifting” tasks that repair, restore and maintain your mind, body and health.. These processes are so intensive that the body waits until you’re asleep to perform them. This is why getting proper sleep following surgery or an injury is an important part of the healing process.
If you been injured in a car wreck or suffer from chronic pain, getting that healthy sleep is easier said than done.
The Role of Sleep in Injury Recovery
Sleep plays a surprisingly important role in injury recovery . Whether you’ve been in a car accident or you’ve hurt yourself at work or play, you need to get healthy sleep so you body can repair damage to muscles, ligaments and tendon, and even bones.3
According to John DeLucchi, Physical Therapy Manager for OrthoCarolina, “If you want to upgrade your athleticism, decrease your risk of injury, decrease persistent pain, recover faster, boost your immune system, have more energy and perform better, sleep is critical.” 4
Your immune system relies on sleep to be able to fight harmful substances. When you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system can’t properly protect your body from infection. Your body makes white blood cells while you sleep. These white blood cells attack viruses and bacteria that can slow the healing process as well as make you sick.
Sleep is when the body manufactures hormones. During healthy sleep cycles, the brain triggers the release of hormones that encourage tissue growth to repair blood vessels. This helps wounds to heal faster and restores sore or damaged muscles. Some of the hormones your body makes and releases during sleep slow breathing and relax muscles. This process can reduce inflammation and assist with healing. Other hormones your body releases are the ones that make you feel hungry or full. When you don’t get enough sleep, the hormone levels of ghrelin go up. Ghrelin is called the ‘hunger hormone’ because it stimulates appetite, increases food intake and promotes fat storage. 5 At the same time the hormones that tell your body that you’re full (leptin) go down. 4 This is why poor sleep patterns often lead to overeating and obesity.
So – to recap – healthy sleep helps you
- heal and recover after surgery or injury
- relax muscles
- repair blood vessels
- fight infection
- restore sore and damaged muscles
- maintain a healthy weight
In a cruel catch-22, chronic pain sufferers find it difficult to get healthy sleep. Chronic pain can lead to sleep disturbances, depression and a heightened risk of suicide.5 Healthy sleep plays a vital role in battling chronic pain, but chronic pain often prevents healthy sleep patterns.
Good Sleep Hygiene
Here are some things to try to help you get a healthy night’s sleep.
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- Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary. Reserve the bedroom for sleep, intimacy, and other restful activities.
- Keep your bedroom cool. Between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal sleep.6
- Banish electronics from your bedroom.
- Be careful about napping. Taking a nap at the peak of sleepiness in the afternoon can help to supplement hours missed at night. However, daytime naps can also interfere with your ability to sleep at night.
- Instead of napping, try taking a brisk walk. Exercising – especially when you’re having trouble sleeping – is tough but worth the efforts. Make sure to avoid exercising within three hours of bedtime.
- Avoid caffeine after noon.
- Alcohol is not a sleep aid. While many people think drinking alcohol helps you sleep, studies show the opposite is true. 7 While alcohol will make you fall asleep faster, the quality of sleep you get is greatly diminished. The more you drink, and the closer your drinking is to bedtime, the more it will negatively impact the quality of your sleep.
If you’re logging in 8 hours of sleep at night but don’t feel refreshed in the morning, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Advanced Wellness Solutions. There are many medical conditions – including chronic neck and back pain – that could be responsible.