What should I do if I'm injured ?

Common injuries

What is whiplash?

Is there any treatment?

Note to injury patients

What to do:

Understanding what to do when an accident happens, and what types of injuries can occur may save you time, money, and long-term medical care. A prompt physical examination is the best advice. A thorough examination by a chiropractic physician is a wise precaution to determine the presence or absence of "hidden" injuries. Confer immediately with your doctor of chiropractic who will determine the extent of any injuries.

Serious and costly injuries do not always result in immediate pain or bloodshed. Aside from the more dramatic wounds which require surgery or hospitalization, other serious and costly injuries may result from auto accidents. Doctors of Chiropractic are particularly well-qualified to detect and treat a wide variety of injuries of the spine, nerves, and other related structures.

Common Injuries:

Low-Velocity Injuries (under 10 mph), usually result from the rapid movement of the body during the accident. This movement may result in muscle strain, seat belt bruises or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Other symptoms may be delayed, but pain and stiffness may occur within 12-36 hours after impact.

High-Velocity Injuries (over 10 mph), usually result from a second impact, the body hitting objects inside the vehicle such as the dashboard, steering wheel, or window. Common injuries of this kind include shoulder, head or knee hematomas, wrist fractures, neck sprains, concussions, and a variety of contusions.

Traumatic Cervical Syndrome, more commonly known as whiplash, occurs when the neck is forced through a rapid series of movements faster than the bones, muscles and ligaments can accommodate. Some symptoms include swelling, tenderness, weakness or pain in the neck and shoulder; sore throat and/or loss of voice, trouble swallowing; jaw problems; vomiting; flashing lights in the visual field; headache; light-headedness or dizziness; painful tingling sensations; visual disturbances or blurred vision; and ringing in the ears. In some cases pain may not present itself for 12-36 hours after impact.

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE AND THE LINKS ARE FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

What is whiplash?

Whiplash-a soft tissue injury to the neck-is also called neck sprain or neck strain. It is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck, usually because of sudden extension and flexion. The disorder commonly occurs as the result of an automobile accident and may include injury to intervertebral joints, discs, and ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerve roots. Symptoms such as neck pain may be present directly after the injury or may be delayed for several days. In addition to neck pain, other symptoms may include neck stiffness, injuries to the muscles and ligaments (myofascial injuries), headache, dizziness, abnormal sensations such as burning or prickling (paresthesias), or shoulder or back pain. In addition, some people experience cognitive, somatic, or psychological conditions such as memory loss, concentration impairment, nervousness/irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue, or depression.

Is there any treatment ?

Treatment for individuals with whiplash may include chiropractic manipulation, range of motion exercises, physical therapy, and cervical traction.  Pain medications, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, muscle relaxants, and a cervical collar may also be prescribed (usually worn for 2 to 3 weeks).   Supplemental heat application may relieve muscle tension.

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE AND THE LINKS ARE FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.

Note to injury patients:

Patients involved in traumatic injuries have special needs. Since traumatic injuries often involve high velocity and violent movements which have the potential to injure bones, muscles, ligaments, nerve and organ structures your doctor needs to be prepared to triage and direct your care. The doctor needs to be capable of making decisions regarding emergent care and medical specialty referral. The New Haven Chiropractic physicians acknowledge their specialized area of expertise and are trained to recognize the need for immediate medical referrals when conditions present which may be life threatening or beyond their scope of expertise.

In addition to the physician management issues, your treating doctor needs to be aware of the medical-legal concerns of a traumatically injured patient. What does that mean? Generally, that the doctor in charge of your health care recognizes that at some time in the future he may be called upon to offer an opinion regarding your injuries. Specifically, it means that the doctor documents every aspect of your management so that when asked by insurance adjusters, lawyers, jurors and judges to offer an opinion the opinions are supported by notes, reports, specialty opinions and imaging procedures. It also means that they are ready, willing and able to effectively communicate the facts so that your health management history is accurately and fairly represented to the interested parties. You may believe that all doctors are prepared for this aspect of injury management. The fact is that most doctors DO NOT want to participate because it requires greater work, responsibility and accountability. At New Haven Chiropractic we welcome the challenge. We enjoy the inter-professional communication and the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to communicate with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

The New Haven Chiropractic physicians have the training and experience necessary to provide you care throughout the different phases of management. Beginning with an acute pain management program through the development of a personalized rehabilitation program we are prepared to assist you improve the quality of your life.

Understanding what to do when an accident happens, and what types of injuries can occur may save you time, money, and long-term medical care. A prompt physical examination is the best advice. A thorough examination by a chiropractic physician is a wise precaution to determine the presence or absence of "hidden" injuries. Confer immediately with your doctor of chiropractic who will determine the extent of any injuries.

Serious and costly injuries do not always result in immediate pain or bloodshed. Aside from the more dramatic wounds which require surgery or hospitalization, other serious and costly injuries may result from auto accidents. Doctors of Chiropractic are particularly well-qualified to detect and treat a wide variety of injuries of the spine, nerves, and other related structures.

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE AND THE LINKS ARE FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.