There are so many things to consider after a car accident. Immediately following a car wreck, people are typically at a loss for what to do. Usually, they are most concerned with others in the vehicle. Are my kids OK? Am I hurt? What do I do with my car? Where do I get my car fixed? Who’s going to pay for this?
Many times, during the initial shock and confusion, a person may make foolish errors in judgement. Such as: not exchanging information with the other driver, leaving the scene of the accident, thinking they’re OK when they are actually injured, or telling the other driver that they can pay for it themselves and not go through insurance.
These scenarios and questions have repeatedly come up during my nearly 20 years of practice. And all I can say is, “Remember your driver’s ed training!”
In other words, Stay calm, make sure you are in a safe place, use your hazard lights (if they still work), call the police, exchange information, and take some pictures of the vehicles. More detailed info can be found on you car insurance websites, such as: State Farm, GEICO, and Liberty Mutual.
Next, you need to make sure you are OK. Do you have any soreness? Scrapes, Cuts, or Bruising? Following an accident it is not uncommon to be in a slight state of shock or on an adrenaline rush that will mask pain. In these cases, it could be hours or days before you feel the full effects of the accident impact. One simple gauge you can use to assess the condition of your injuries is to look at the damage to your vehicle. If your vehicle is smashed, but you don’t feel anything (yet), beware because some soreness is coming.
Following an accident, I advise a physical exam and x-rays of any potential areas of injury.
At Dixie Chiropractic, we use various methods to help you heal from accident injuries. We always begin with ‘light’ modalities, such as massage, electrical muscle stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, ice or heat to comfortably help you begin the healing process. Then, as you improve, we utilize deeper methods to improve range of motion and tissue pliability. such as deep tissue massage, chiropractic manipulation, laser therapy, and gentle traction. The end result is to return you to full function without scar tissue buildup in your muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
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