Each day millions of Americans face deadly car accidents. Whereas, Marietta, Georgia, records 96 car crashes (on average) per day. Back in 2017, the city reported 12,496 accidents, which is a serious concern for authorities. So, if you’re a resident of this beautiful city, this article is for you.
What are the top causes of auto accidents in Marietta?
- Over Speeding
- Being distracted while driving
- Aggressive driving
- Tailgating
- Texting while driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Breaking traffic rules
What may you not realize?
- Whiplash injuries are either mild or severe, resulting in tissue damages or broken bones. And many victims don’t realize they have got a whiplash injury until days passed.
- Some car crashes injuries are evident, resulting in neck and back injuries, heavy bleeding, broken bones, but sometimes a person faces internal damages that aren’t visible and appear later. In both cases, the victim must call an ambulance urgently to prevent delayed treatment––seek prompt medical attention.
- Failure to treat whiplash patients can lead to long-term chronic psychosocial symptoms such as stress, anxiety, and depression.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Whiplash occurs due to a sudden force in a person’s head and neck. The majority of car crashes result in neck strain being a common result. Visit the doctor soon you notice the following symptoms
- Headaches
- Ringing in the ears
- Blurred vision
- Neck pain
- Pain when turning the head
- Sore muscles
- Difficulty sleeping
- Upper back pain
- Shoulder and arm pain
- Inability to move the head
- Numbness or tingling in the fingers
- Tiredness
- Dizziness, nausea, or vertigo
- Depression
Many people reported
- Disc bulges and herniation
- Injured bones in the spine
- Subluxations
- Damaged nerves
- Pulled ligaments in the neck
As you can see, different people experience different whiplash symptoms, so you must be careful of all signs mentioned above. We advise you to visit the best Marietta car accident chiropractor for a thorough examination of your body parts.
Whiplash Prevention
Prevention is better than cure.
- Sit upright. Always use seatbelts while sitting in a car and drive motor vehicles with airbags.
- Always use high-quality safety equipment.
- Don’t drive too close
- Position yourself for a crash
- Drive a big car
Whiplash Prognosis
The chances of your recovery from whiplash depend on how severe the injury is.
- Minor injuries usually resolve within one week
- Moderate injuries with muscle ligament strains may take 6 to 8 weeks to resolve.
- Severe whiplash injuries involve nerve damage disc injury to the spine. These injuries may result in permanent disability or require future surgical intervention.
Generally, spinal manipulation results in aching or soreness in the spinal muscles. This soreness can occur within the first few hours after the treatment and doesn’t last longer than a day post the chiropractic adjustment.
How Is A Whiplash Diagnosed?
Tests for whiplash may include:
- X-ray–– Fractures, dislocations can be identified
- MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging)––This imaging test uses a magnetic field (radio waves) to produce detailed 3D images. MRI scans can detect soft tissue injuries like damage to the spinal cord
- CT scan (Computed tomography)––This test can produce cross-sectional images of bone damage.
Based on the patient’s history and chiropractic exam results, the doctor will perform the above diagnostic test to identify structural abnormalities in your body. While an x-ray is the most common test used during an initial exam, it is not necessary. In general, doctors perform an x-ray to help diagnose recent trauma and spondyloarthritis.
While an x-ray can help view broken bones, it is not recommended for diagnosing soft tissue injury–an MRI or CT scan is likely to be recommended.
Whiplash injury treatment Marietta is based on
- Your age and medical history
- Therapies and your tolerance for specific procedures
- Your overall health condition
Whiplash Initial treatment includes
- Ice applications
- Gentle movement after 24 hours
- Physical therapy
- Cervical collar
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications
- Muscle relaxing medicines
- Osteopathic manipulation
- Injections– lidocaine (Xylocaine) may help to decrease pain so that the patient can get ready for physical therapies/exercises.
Other Injuries from Car Accidents
Besides whiplash, you may also experience the following damages:
- Broken bones
- Paralysis (complete or partial)
- Organ damage
- Brain damage
- Disfigurement
- Loss of range
- Various other injuries
- Death
Are there any side-effects of delaying chiropractic treatment?
Yes, there can be serious problems in delaying the treatment. So, to be on the safe side, you must get checked out by a doctor (primary family physician or visit ED facility), even if you feel no pain or injury at first. The doctor will evaluate your condition by performing MRIs, X-rays, CT-scan, or other medical procedures.
- Delayed therapy results in a delayed recovery as it gives rise to many other problems.
- Delayed medical treatment may harm your insurance claim. Many providers will make this delayed treatment the reason of not compensating you.
Chiropractic Consultations and Examinations
A thorough chiropractic examination includes blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and reflexes. During an examination, the chiropractor will need to touch the affected parts. And further imaging tests are also necessary to assess the affected area.
Good chiropractors do everything to help relieve their patient’s symptoms– with as few treatments as necessary. Because this profession has a vast variety of chiropractic techniques/ practice philosophies, individuals should feel comfortable asking questions essential to understand the examination process and treatment program.
Chiropractor in Marietta performs an in-depth medical examination to try to reach the root cause of the problem. The doctors will ask you a series of questions to analyze the exact cause of an injury. Typical questions include:
- When did the pain start?
- What parts of the body are affected?
- Describe the intensity of the pain—is it sharp or dull or throbbing?
- What activities make pain better or worse?
- Does pain come and go after short intervals, or is it continual?
Patients are also asked to provide details of their family medical history. This initial consultation is quite helpful in treating your illness. And, if they believe that the issue is outside of their knowledge or expertise, they will recommend another medical specialist or possibly a surgeon.
Final thought
When it’s about health, you must be cautious. Just because you feel no pain or injury, at first sight, doesn’t mean you are perfectly fine. Anyone who has faced a car accident must visit the doctor to stay mindful of the above whiplash symptoms and seek help as early as possible.
After all, a good chiropractic care after a car accident can
- Improve your range of motion
- Reduce inflammation, pain, and stiffness
- Increase mobility
We hope this article clarifies more about whiplash injury and ways to deal with it. If you or any of your loved ones become the victim of a car accident, we advise you to visit the best Marietta chiropractor nearby.
Thank you for reading!
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