Whether a low speed fender bender or something more serious, an auto accident can negatively impact your life, health and well-being. At Highlands Family Chiropractic , we’re looking for any injury that can occur from low speed to those major, high impact rollover type crashes. There are three major categories of musculoskeletal injuries; bones, discs, and ligaments can be injured in a crash.
Even low speed “fender benders” can produce well-established objective injuries that help identify for the patient whether they were injured or not in a crash.
Whiplash is a mechanism of injury and is now referred to as acceleration-deceleration injuries with symptoms referred to as whiplash-associated disorders (WAD)—the ligament injuries, disc herniations, and radiculopathy that goes down into the hands and fingers.
You’re in Highly Capable Hands
In practice since 2007, Dr. Hicks has done numerous coursework on trauma management. He is certified by the ICA (International Chiropractic Association) in Advancements in the Management of Traumatic Injuries. Dr. Hicks has also taken the Croft trauma courses, including ones in Chiropractic BioPhysics®, whiplash associated disorders (WAD) or the injury of those tissues caused by whiplash. Dr. Hicks has the experience and expertise to address many auto accident injuries.
What If My Symptoms Were Mild?
Many people think that if they have little to no discomfort after an auto accident, they are okay. Even if symptoms are mild, it’s important to be checked for those injuries. Following an auto accident, many people will head to the ER, urgent care, or their primary care provider.
What happens is at the ER or urgent care, they’re looking for the big major issues, such as fractures, dislocations, or immediate life-threatening conditions. That’s opposed to the injuries that are not immediately life-threatening but will be with the patient for many months or even permanently. Being cleared by the ER doesn’t mean you were not injured, it just means you don’t have an immediate threat on life or limb.
Very few doctors actually know how to look for these injuries or measure them. Most physicians do not, and that emphatically includes those in the ER and urgent care. It’s not that they don’t know how to, but that’s not what they’re looking for.