Short North Accident Injury Care

Archive for October, 2009

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

There are approximately 3 million whiplash injuries sustained in the U.S. every year. Many cases of whiplash are unreported or go untreated due to the seemingly minor low speed collision or minimal, or any, amount of damage to the involved vehicles. It is also estimated that 45% of people who suffer from chronic neck pain do so as a result of a previous whiplash injury.

Although whiplash is the most commonly thought of injury with auto accidents, it is very common for people to receive injuries to the hips, knees, shoulders, back, and ribs to name a few.
It is very common, especially with low speed collisions, for there to be no pain immediately after the accident. Often it takes several days or longer for any pain to appear. Most people believe that if they do not have pain immediately following the accident, or if it’s a week or two after the accident before they start having pain, then they can’t receive treatment for it, or have any treatment included in the insurance claim. This is completely false.
It is routine for auto accident patients to begin care weeks or months after the accident, despite what your insurance company may lead you to believe.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

Pain from Back Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call

614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

In my Columbus Office,I see many types of injuries as a Chiropractor in Columbus. Some of the common injuries can result in neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc.

Causes of these injuries range from auto accidents and work related injuries to injuries caused by domestic chores, house work and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.

Of these injured patients, I would say that at least 50% of them, for the moment, while they are in pain they ask “what can I do for myself to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?” This question served as the inspiration for this article and I will address in this post.

To begin with, pain is a great motivator.

When people are in pain they take a proactive approach to their health. People often inquire about what kind of stretch or exercising that they can start right away. Unfortunately, the best thing that you can do while your injury is new is to apply ice packs to the injured area and rest.

Over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen a large percentage of enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions a major set back. The time to start exercising and stretching your back for most of us is when it is out of its acute stage of pain.

My biggest struggles in practice have been dealing with my patients exercise and diet habits. Exercise is one of the few things that a patient can do at home, outside of chiropractic care, to help prevent or diminish the chances of developing back pain.

After an injury, you should approach exercise cautiously – almost to a point where the exercise that you are performing feels like it is doing nothing. If you can get through a few low intensity exercise sessions like this without aggravating your condition, you should slowly add resistance which allows you to build confidence and strength at the same time.

Remember to follow a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury. Be sure to exercise and stretch under the advise of a health care professional. Strong and flexible muscles add strength and support to your spine and will provide much needed stability.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio

Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

In my Short North,Columbus, there are approximately 3 million whiplash injuries sustained in the U.S. every year. Many cases of whiplash are unreported or go untreated due to the seemingly minor low speed collision or minimal, or any, amount of damage to the involved vehicles. It is also estimated that 45% of people who suffer from chronic neck pain do so as a result of a previous whiplash injury.

Although whiplash is the most commonly thought of injury with auto accidents, it is very common for people to receive injuries to the hips, knees, shoulders, back, and ribs to name a few.

It is very common, especially with low speed collisions, for there to be no pain immediately after the accident. Often it takes several days or longer for any pain to appear. Most people believe that if they do not have pain immediately following the accident, or if it’s a week or two after the accident before they start having pain, then they can’t receive treatment for it, or have any treatment included in the insurance claim. This is completely false.

It is routine for auto accident patients to begin care weeks or months after the accident, despite what your insurance company may lead you to believe.
Another myth related to car accidents is that if there is no damage to the vehicle, then there can be no injury, and therefore insurance companies will not cover any type of treatment. This is also false.
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that injuries can occur without there being any damage to the vehicle. The insurance companies know this, but they bank on the fact that you do not. In fact, low speed collisions with little or no damage to the vehicles make up a significant portion of the cases handled and paid out by auto insurance companies.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call

614 299 9797

to make an appointment.

Whiplash Accidents Injury Headaches Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

In my Short North, Columbus Chiropractic office I see and successfully treat patients with headaches, there are five general kinds of headaches – tension, toxic, sinus, cluster as well as migraine – so you can have a better understanding of what kind of headache you have.

Read about Headache and the Various Types of Headaches

Whiplash from a car accident is a common reason for headaches to start happening, and whiplash headaches respond very well to Chiropractic treatments.

A general practitioner will give medicine to relieve the headache briefly, but this doesn’t do anything to fix the reason for the headache. Chiropractic care,  will fix the reason for many kinds of headaches quickly, and save you from taking painkillers, which can cause other types of headaches and definitely cause other health problems.

Whiplash Accident Headaches Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

How long has it been since you were involved in an auto accident?

If so, did you get evaluated by a chiropractor?  If not, you should have.  It is never too late.

My Columbus Chiropractic Office treats many individuals for neck pain, back pain and headaches that are related to auto accidents.  While many of our patients are treating for accidents that occurred recently, in many cases the auto accidents in question occurred years earlier and the initial symptoms were not taken seriously.

I have always found it a bit odd that in general people don’t take the time to seek treatment for themselves yet they scramble to get their cars fixed.

I don’t know why so many of us carry these kinds of thought processes.  In the case of auto accident injuries, the little bit of neck pain or the headaches or the low back pain is often overlooked or dismissed and minimized as being un-important.  This is flawed thinking.  Imagine if we treated other health conditions with such disregard.

The injury mechanisms in whiplash type accidents are complex.  Muscles are stretched and torn, ligaments can sometimes partially tear or rupture, discs can become herniated and spinal fractures can occur.  These injuries can lead to a number of different symptoms that can cause neck pain or back pain that ranges in intensity from a slight irritation all the way to severe disability.  Back pain and neck pain are bad enough in the short term and much worse in a long-term chronic situation.

While the mechanism of injury in whiplash cases is complex, the typical resulting spinal injuries follow a well-established path.  Initially, the muscles and ligaments in the injured area are irritated.  This irritation leads to inflammation.  Inflammation is not only responsible for many of the initial symptoms that you experience but it is also responsible for scar tissue formation which can make your symptoms permanent or chronic.

Statistically, 25% of auto injury victims will continue to suffer from ongoing symptoms related to their accident.  I see this statistic play out in my Columbus chiropractic office on a regular basis.

Chiropractors are experts in dealing with the types of neck pain, back pain and headaches that occur as a result of auto accidents.  The best way to insure that you are not a member of this group of 25% that never fully recover from their auto accident injuries is to get an examination and treatment as recommended by your chiropractor.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio

Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

In my Short North, Columbus office during this time of year, we start getting calls from both established and new patients regarding aches and pains related to auto accidents. During a rainy commute, the number of auto accidents can be 4 to 5 times the number that occurs on dry roads. My Chiropractic office in Columbus has seen hundreds of auto accident / personal injury victims over the last 15 years.

The most common injury resulting from auto accidents is the classic neck injury termed whiplash.

Whiplash is a traumatic neck injury that results from a sudden, forceful backward / forward snapping movement of the head. The head is heavy compared to the size of the muscles that help turn and tilt your head. Because of the violent acceleration and deceleration of the head, the soft tissues of the neck are overwhelmed with the stresses of the gravitational forces. Ligament damage, pinched nerves, muscle tearing, spasm and spinal misalignment are typical results of whiplash.

Whiplash can become a nagging, intolerable condition if left untreated. Many people make the mistake of judging the amount of injury to their body’s based on the force of impact or the amount of damage to the car. This is poor judgment. There are many factors that determine how a person is rear-ended by a second vehicle traveling 60 mph walks away unhurt while an apparently light tap on the bumper in a parking lot can cause enough pain to ruin your summer. Factors including the angle of the impact, speed of the impact, occupant awareness of the impending impact, head tilt or rotation, use of seatbelts and area of impact all play a role in why some people are injured in accidents and some are not.

Many people do believe that only high speed impacts can cause injury, however even a low-speed impact in an auto accident can cause serious whiplash injuries. Whiplash symptoms can occur instantly but typically take days, weeks, or even months to develop.

Neck pain is by far the most common whiplash symptom, along with headaches, muscle spasms, shoulder pain, dizziness, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), arm pain and tingling, and insomnia. The constant presence of symptoms can make whiplash a debilitating problem, even resulting in clinical depression.

A common problem associated with whiplash is the misalignment of the vertebrae in the neck. If left untreated, these vertebrae will remain misaligned, causing chronic neck problems in the future, including loss of range of motion, chronic headaches and arthritis.

A 1998 Canadian study on whiplash examined more than 10,000 cases of neck injuries and concluded that chiropractic adjustments are one of the only proven treatments for whiplash injuries. This study also concluded that “accepted’ treatments such as neck collars, muscle relaxers, immobilization, and rest were not helpful for whiplash victims.

Whiplash Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio

Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

Back Pain Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

I see many types of injuries as a Chiropractor in Short North, Columbus, Ohio.  Some of the common injuries can result in neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, sciatica etc.

Causes of these injuries range from auto accidents and work related injuries to injuries caused by domestic chores, house work and sometimes things as simple as sleeping in an awkward position.

Of these injured patients, I would say that at least 50% of them, for the moment, while they are in pain they ask “what can I do for myself to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?”  This question served as the inspiration for this article and I will address in this post.

To begin with, pain is a great motivator.

When people are in pain they take a proactive approach to their health.  People often inquire about what kind of stretch or exercising that they can start right away.  Unfortunately, the best thing that you can do while your injury is new is to apply ice packs to the injured area and rest.

Over my 15 plus years in practice I have seen a large percentage of enthusiastic patients ignore this advice and end up giving their conditions a major set back.  The time to start exercising and stretching your back for most of us is when it is out of its acute stage of pain.

My biggest struggles in practice have been dealing with my patients exercise and diet habits.  Exercise is one of the few things that a patient can do at home, outside of chiropractic care, to help prevent or diminish the chances of developing back pain.

After an injury, you should approach exercise cautiously – almost to a point where the exercise that you are performing feels like it is doing nothing.  If you can get through a few low intensity exercise sessions like this without aggravating your condition, you should slowly add resistance which allows you to build confidence and strength at the same time.

Remember to follow a sensible approach to exercising after a back injury.  Be sure to exercise and stretch under the advise of a health care professional.  Strong and flexible muscles add strength and support to your spine and will provide much needed stability.

Back Pain Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call

614 299 9797

to make an appointment.

Pain from Car Accidents Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call

614 299 9797

to make an appointment.

The use of orthopedic supports, such as a cervical collar, during the acute states of the injury, is a common clinical practice in both the medical and chiropractic communities.It is, however, a double-edged sword.

The most reasonable approach would entail use of these supports during the functional instability phase of injury, followed by removal as prolonged use can lead to dependency.

Typically, the support is most beneficial during the ten days following the trauma. Prolonged use would support the need for additional investigation, which must include consideration of a psychological component.

X-rays

The initial use of x-rays in the well managed soft tissue injury is well supported in the scientific literature. The use of “follow-up” series of x-rays is, however, debated. We have found the use of serial x-ray studies is usually unwarranted, absent the clinical management of clear osseous injuries or delayed instability. The prudent use of x-rays should always consider the potential harm from radiation exposure. This is especially true in patients of child bearing years.

The use of repeat plain film radiographs will often bring the case under immediate scrutiny, thus, complicating the settlement process.

Pain from Car Accidents Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio
Call

614 299 9797

to make an appointment.

make an appointment.

Posture and Back Pain and Neck Pain Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.

Back pain and neck pain can strike anyone at any time. In my chiropractic clinic in Columbus, Ohio, we see patients that have injured their backs or necks from lifting boxes, operating heavy machinery, sports injuries, auto accidents and falls.

Patients or new chiropractic patients would be surprised to find that the most
common type of injury that we see in our office is not from lifting 90 pound sacks of concrete but from postural stress.

Postural stress is the “silent killer” when it comes to our spinal health. Postural stress occurs during both seated and standing positions. Postural stress occurs any time that your spine looses its’ natural curves and / or moves forward beyond its neutral balance point.

An example of a posturally stressful position for your neck would be when you are sitting at the computer leaning your neck and head forward while either keyboarding or reading the screen. Assuming a posture in which your head and neck are extended out in front of your body reverses the normal curve of your neck and shifts your head forward of its balance point.

When we assume postures that cause stress on our spines, the stability that is inherent in our structure when postural boundaries are respected is lost. Postural stress exposes our alignments and muscles to prolonged periods of stretching which results in fatigue, irritation, inflammation, back pain and neck pain.

Treating postural stresses resulting neck pain and back pain requires a multifaceted approach. Chiropractic care will relieve the pain and stiffness. This may take several treatments based on the length of time that you have been in pain and the severity of your symptoms. Concurrent to chiropractic care, you must do everything possible to remove the causes of the postural stress. A thorough workstation analysis can reveal hidden sources of postural stress. Applying ice packs to the specific areas of neck pain and back pain in twenty minute sessions is also helpful.

Posture and Back Pain and Neck Pain Accidents Injuries Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call

614 299 9797

Back Pain and Arthritis Treatment

Arthritis is a scary word to most people.

In my Short North Chiropractic clinic, I see people each day who suffer from the effects of arthritis.  Besides the fact the in general arthritis slows you down and limits your physical abilities, it also causes pain.  Neck pain, back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain and even headaches (secondary to the neck pain) are common complaints from people with arthritis.

Most of the patients that we provide chiropractic treatment for are suffering from a type of arthritis know as osteoarthritis.  Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease, degenerative arthritis and wear & tear arthritis.  The term osteoarthritis does describe a type of arthritis that occurs because of a wearing down of the joint.
In some cases, osteoarthritis is the result of some injury to the joint that resulted in unnatural or awkward movements of that joint.  In the medical community we refer to these abnormal movements as “biomechanical abnormalities”  In many cases, a joint has to be exposed to biomechanical abnormalities for years before the joint becomes laden with arthritis.

In my chiropractic office, we treat many patients for automobile accidents.  I always tell these patients that while I am not trying to minimize the pain that they are currently suffering from, the most important aspect of their entire treatment program is to help restore normal biomechanics of the spine.  This is because eliminating the pain associated with car accident injuries is important but the initial pain that comes with a car accident is only a fraction of the long-term discomfort that comes with biomechanical abnormalities.

Of course I am referring to a process that involves whiplash of a joint leading to scar tissue formation causing abnormal biomechanics that results in arthritic joints.
We do provide effective treatment for the PAIN of arthritis but there is no treatment that CURES it.

The bottom line is this:  If you have neck pain or back pain now, get treatment for it becomes an incurable disorder like arthritis.

Back Pain and Arthritis Treated, Short North Columbus, Ohio Call 614 299 9797 to make an appointment.