Rear-end collisions are extremely common in Pembroke Pines. In fact, they account for about 50% of all accidents involving two vehicles.
While many of these accidents may seem minor, such as when a car driving at a slow speed bumps into another car that’s sitting at a stoplight, even slow-moving cars can cause serious injury.
The danger of rear-end collisions is that you might not realize you’ve been injured until much later. While some people experience pain immediately after the accident, others don’t see any symptoms until weeks later, and at that point, they may not realize where the injury originated from.
Whether you’ve just experienced a rear-end collision and want to make sure you didn’t sustain any injuries, or you’ve been experiencing chronic pain from a collision that happened in the past, Rush Chiropractic offers a wide range of treatments that can help address the root problem and get you closer to living a pain-free life once again.
What Happens to Your Body in a Rear End Collision?
When a vehicle hits your car from behind, that vehicle’s momentum shifts to your car and your body. This explains why collisions at slow speeds can still cause serious injuries, because a sudden increase of even 20 miles per hour is more than our bodies are equipped to handle.
Upon impact, the car and your body jerk forward suddenly. If you’re wearing a seatbelt, your body will then snap back just as quickly, which can trigger injuries throughout the neck and spine. If you’re not wearing a seatbelt, you’ll be at a higher risk for severe injury and even death, because there’s nothing to restrain you from hitting the windshield at a high speed.
The sudden increase in momentum can also affect your internal organs, causing them to slam against the structures around them.
How Can a Chiropractor Help with Car Accident Injuries?
If you’re experiencing pain after a car accident, you may feel tempted to “wait it out,” assuming that the injuries will heal with time. However, some of the most common injuries from rear-end collisions can cause pain for months or even years after the incident, and the earlier you start treating them, the more quickly and easily they can be resolved.
Rather than visiting a general practitioner, consider making an appointment with a Pembroke Pines chiropractor instead. A general practitioner can prescribe you pain medication, but over time, they’ll probably have to keep increasing your dosage, because that medication just masks the symptoms rather than helping the injury to heal.
Chiropractors, on the other hand, have a variety of treatments at our disposal. At Rush Chiropractic, we’ll work with you to diagnose the problem and develop a custom treatment plan that’s tailored to your needs.
4 Common Injuries from a Rear-End Collision
Rear-end collisions can cause a wide variety of injuries throughout the entire body, and many of them will last for months or years if left untreated.
Fortunately, an experienced chiropractor can treat many of these injuries without using medication. In the process, we can provide pain relief while also speeding up recovery times and helping to strengthen the affected area to prevent future injuries.
#1: Whiplash
You’ve probably heard of people experiencing whiplash after a car accident, but did you know it can last for years if left untreated?
Whiplash, which can happen in rear-end collisions at any speed over 5 miles per hour, occurs when your head snaps forward and then backward again in a rear-end collision. This causes the ligaments, tendons and muscles in your neck to stretch further than they should, which can lead to tears.
If you’re experiencing neck pain, stiffness, dizziness, blurred vision or headaches, you may have whiplash. To treat this condition, we use cold and heat therapies to reduce soreness and swelling in the muscles. We can also use gentle spinal manipulation to ensure that everything is aligned properly, so your body can heal itself faster.
#2: Arm and Wrist Injuries
If a driver is holding the steering wheel at the time of a rear-end collision, their arms and wrists often absorb some of the impact. This can cause injuries like sprained wrists, stress fractures in the arm, dislocated shoulders, and tendon damage.
A chiropractor can treat many joint injuries with manipulation, which restores mobility to the joint and gives the injured tissues space to heal. We also offer physical therapy and other treatments that can help you strengthen your arms and shoulders after a traumatic injury.
#3: Herniated Disc
A herniated disc occurs when one of the soft discs between the vertebrae ruptures or moves out of place, often pushing against the surrounding nerves. Symptoms may include neck and back pain, tingling, pain or weakness in the arms and legs, and muscle spasms.
To treat a herniated disc, chiropractors have a variety of tools at our disposal. Spinal manipulation, physical therapy, and other methods serve as effective alternatives to therapy. At Rush Chiropractic, we also specialize in spinal decompression therapy, a process that uses a computerized traction unit to gently straighten the spine and create space so that the disc can naturally move back into place.
#4: Headaches and Migraines
Headaches and migraines are extremely common after a rear-end collision, and they’re typically linked to another injury. Headaches, which vary in severity and in the type of pain, can stem from pinched nerves, trauma to the neck or spine, whiplash or a concussion.
Where other doctors might only treat the symptom, a chiropractor can help you uncover the source of your headaches and develop a treatment plan accordingly. If they’re related to a spine injury, spinal manipulation may help. If they’re related to a muscle spasm or pinched nerve, treatments like massage, soft-tissue therapy or electrical nerve stimulation can reduce your pain.
Visit Rush Chiropractic to Start Your Recovery Process
If you’ve been injured in a rear-end collision, Rush Chiropractic is one of the best places in Pembroke Pines to start your path to recovery. Dr. Rush is an expert at helping patients recover from neck, spine, back and deep-tissue injuries, and he can likely help you as well.
Don’t put off treatment and suffer longer than you need to! Give us a call today at 954-432-5006 to schedule a consultation.
Dr. Rush is a 1994 graduate of the University of Florida where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Sports Science and Wellness.
Dr. Rush earned his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree at Life University in 2000 where he was honored with magna cum laude. Dr. Rush was born and raised in South Florida where he returned after graduation. He currently practices in Pembroke Pines, Florida where he owns and operates Rush Chiropractic and Rehab at Pembroke Pines FL.
