If you have been in an auto accident, it is important to receive treatment within the first 24-48 hours. After Dr. Kim Tran suffered a devastating injury from an auto accident, she has been on a mission to help patients return to optimal health, recovery, and function.
In a moment, a severe auto accident can happen. With the shock of an accident – your first thought goes to your car. Often with the shock, patients often report that they didn’t feel pain right away due to the adrenaline rush. As the adrenaline decreases, symptoms set in which can take up to two weeks to show up. Its important to seek medical attention right away after an accident and remember that you and your injuries come first. Even an auto accident a 2 mph is enough to shift a joint out of place and compress a spinal nerve.
Remember nerves go to every single cell, tissue, muscle, and organ in the body. After an auto accident, some individuals experience indicators of whiplash injuries right away, such as blurred vision, headaches, shoulder pain, dizziness, reduced range of motion and arm pain. Whiplash can also result in minor back injuries, muscle injuries, ligament problems, and disc damage. Other individuals may be injured and feel nothing at all.
A visit to a chiropractor should always follow an auto injury, as chiropractors are specialists in damage to soft and hard tissue.
Chiropractors can treat neck and back injuries associated with auto accidents. Many times, individuals who have been injured in a car accident experience such intense muscle pain and stiffness that they simply cannot function normally. When left untreated, this discomfort can be a serious issue.
Treating pain or whiplash should never be secondary to bringing your car at the mechanic or working with your insurance company. If you’ve had an auto accident recently, your priority should be taking the initiative to visit your chiropractor.
If you’ve been injured in a car crash, you know how painful and debilitating it can be. You might be suffering from neck pain, headaches, back pain, or even dizziness.
You don’t need to suffer. At Minnesota Integrative Health, we’ve helped many patients in Richfield, Minneapolis, and surrounding communities recover from whiplash and other symptoms that come along with car crashes.
If you are suffering from injuries from an auto accident, work comp, or personal injury, call us today at 612-545-5672 to find out how we can help you recover.
Boom! I was in the driver’s seat of my car in the right turn lane looking to the left to see if I had an opening to turn. Suddenly my car was pushed forward into oncoming traffic as I felt my entire body and neck whip forward and back. I quickly looked over to my chiropractic assistant to see if she was ok. I quickly pulled my car to the side of the road as the cars sped by going over 50 mph. As we waited for the police to come, pain was appearing in my lower back and neck. Each minute that passed led to more stiffness! After the police finished the accident report, I drove back to my office to a room full of patients waiting. I started to adjust the first patient. My left hand on her neck as I did her adjustment. Zing! Pain shot from my neck through my shoulder and down my arm. My assistant Jackie caught the look of pain in my face that I was trying to hide from my patients. I continued on through the pain – one patient after another. As I continued numbness started in my hand and worked its way up to my shoulder. My hand and fingers began not being able to close. By the end of my afternoon shift with patients my left shoulder was burning and though it was on fire I couldn;t make a fist with my hand. My muscles in my left arm were so weak that I couldn’t lift it off the side of my body. I was exhausted and devastated that a “small” accident could cause so many problems. As I remind my patients, even an auto accident at 2 mph is enough to shift a joint out of place in the spine and compress a nerve.
I went home that evening to my pup that was eagerly waiting for me. Thankfully my pup was gentle during our walk as even the slightest pull of the leash sent pain shooting down from my neck. I iced my neck as I laid on my neck roll hoping to ease some of the discomfort until I could be adjusted in the morning. I had a difficult time falling asleep as the pain increased and numbness went down both arms as I lied down.
The next day I woke up to intense pain. As I went to move my body, I couldn’t move. I thought let me just try moving my toes- they wouldn’t move. I laid in bed praying got the ability to move my body. Slowly I began to rock my neck side to side. Eventually trying to see which ebay i could lift my body. My neck screamed out in pain as I finally, with much struggle, pulled myself out of bed an hour later. Unfortunately, that was the first of many days it would take me an hour to get out of bed. I went to see one of the chiropractors I worked with. My neck was in so much pain from the accident that I could only tolerate a light adjustment. My x-rays showed I had reversed the curve in my neck. My disc as C5-C6 was building and compressing my nerve causing the burning pain in my shoulder and numbness down both my arms and hands.
I was being adjusted 5-6 times a week, doing therapies, and neck decompression. When recovering from an injury, I always tell my patients to take it easy and I had to do the same. Yet 2 weeks later, I wanted to believe it was all in my head and sent for a 9 mile run. The next morning, I woke up my body paralyzed and in intense pain. I did more than my body was ready for, and I paid for it.
Over the next few months, I continued with the intense regime of chiropractic, therapeutic exercises, and decompression. When I eventually returned to weight training, I had to start with the lightest weights possible for my arms and shoulders.
The stress from the auto accident caused more than physical issues. I started to have periods every 2 weeks. Due to the frequent bleeding, I became anemic. When your body is in severe pain, it’s also not uncommon to have depression, anxiety, brain fatigue, and difficulties concentrating. Many patients are surprised to learn that physical stress can lead to hormone problems.
As someone who has suffered with the pain and struggles of an auto accident, I am the biggest advocate for my patients who have been in an auto accident or worker’s compensation to ensure they are able to achieve their optimal health and function back.
If you have been in an auto accident:
