In 2019, an estimated 6.76 million police-reported crashes occurred in the US alone. This shows a 0.3% increase in the number of road accidents from the year before. Moreover, these events injured an estimated 2.74 million people, a 1.1% uptick from the prior year.

As if that’s not bad enough, many types of car crash injuries aren’t immediately noticeable. That’s why the figures above are only an estimation, as there could be more undiagnosed ones.

So, if you’ve been in a crash yourself, you might want to consider chiropractic care services. Chiropractic doctors can help in the diagnosis and treatment of car accident injuries. They can unmask “hidden” injuries and then treat them upon discovery.

To that end, we created this guide covering what chiropractic care can do for crash injuries. Read on to discover how they work and what they can help treat.

What Exactly Is Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is a non-invasive, complementary, and alternative medicine. It focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of spinal, muscle, joint, and nerve disorders.

Chiropractic treatments use spinal manipulation and muscle stimulation techniques. These procedures are hand-based and don’t require surgery of any sort. Instead, they aim to bring back the body’s musculoskeletal structure into proper alignment.

Chiropractic specialists use either only their hands or small, specialized instruments. In either case, they apply a sudden but controlled force to joints, such as those in the spine. The idea is to “re-align” the spine or soft tissues to treat what’s ailing them.

Is Chiropractic Care Safe?

Yes, it’s generally safe so long as performed by a licensed specialist. These specialists have undergone extensive training to ensure their patients’ safe treatment.

With that said, licensed specialists of chiropractic care are “Doctors of Chiropractic.” However, they are more commonly referred to as “chiropractors.” There are currently more than 70,000 of these specialists in the US alone.

Doctors of chiropractic care aren’t medical doctors. However, they are holders of a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree. They’ve obtained their D.C. degree from a Higher Learning Commission-accredited institution.

Do note that the HLC is the same organization that accredits medical schools. Similar to MD doctors, chiropractors also hold a science or pre-med undergraduate degree. On top of this is a four-year healthcare degree from an HLC-accredited institution.

D.C. degree holders have also satisfied many licensing requirements. For instance, they passed rigorous licensure exams. They’ve also demonstrated their competence through hands-on clinical time with patients. 

What Crash Injuries Can Chiropractic Care Services Help Treat?

Like MD doctors, doctors of chiropractic care conduct physical and nerve exams, too. They perform these as part of their accurate diagnostic methods. In this way, they can diagnose musculoskeletal maladies caused by vehicle crashes.

When you visit a car accident chiropractor, the doctor may require you to get a CT scan or an X-ray. These, plus a whole-body physical exam, can confirm if you have injuries.

From here, the chiropractor can create a tailored treatment plan for your injuries. Here are some of the most common injuries that can benefit from chiropractic care.

Whiplash-Associated Disorders (WADs)

Whiplash injuries occur when the head snaps back and forth in a quick, whip-like manner. This rapid, forceful movement can result in torn soft tissues. It can also affect the neck joints, discs, ligaments, and even nerves.

Loss of range of motion and pain are the most common symptoms of WADs. A review of studies found chiropractic treatment helped improve range of motion. The findings also suggest that chiropractic care helped reduce pain in WAD patients.

Back Pain

Back pain, especially if occurring in the lower back, may be a sign of whiplash injury. It can also indicate a sprain, which can happen if you overstretch or tear your ligaments. Muscle damage, herniated discs, or pinched nerves can also lead to back pain after a car crash.

Studies found that back pain reduction is one of the top benefits of chiropractic care. For instance, chiropractic treatments can help ease low back pain (LBP) intensity. They can also help reduce physical disability that may arise from LBP.

Shoulder Girdle Pain

The shoulder girdles (pectoral girdles) consist of the collarbone and the shoulder blade. You have two shoulder girdles, one for each shoulder. Together, they have four primary joints and connecting muscles.

A car accident can injure any part of the shoulder girdle and cause pain. Strained shoulder muscles are some of the most common types. Either way, these pectoral girdle injuries can cause a loss of range of motion in your shoulders.

Researchers found evidence that chiropractic adjustments can help with shoulder girdle pain. These treatments can also help you recover your shoulder’s range of motion after a crash.

Cervical Spine Subluxations

Cervical spine subluxations are also known as hyperflexion sprains. They can occur in any ligament of the cervical spine. Sprains, in turn, results from the overstretching or even tearing of a ligament.

Sprained neck ligaments are painful enough as-is. However, they can also cause the neck to become misaligned. They can also lead to nerve and joint irritations, and in some cases, even headaches.

Car collisions are a primary cause of these neck subluxations. In fact, experts say that each year, 800,000 crashes result in neck injuries, including sprains. 

A chiropractor can help by putting the neck back in proper alignment. A properly-aligned neck, in turn, can free nerves and joints from irritation. The adjustments can also help release pinched nerves.

Be On Your Way to Faster Recovery With Chiropractic Care

As you can see, there are many ways that chiropractic care services can help after a car crash. Whether it’s neck or back pain ailing you, a chiropractor can be a good addition to your healthcare team. Plus, chiropractic care is non-invasive, so you may find it less risky than surgery.

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