Many people suffer from chronic pain after an auto accident. Not only do you experience the injury but there is an experience of stress due to the pain and inactivity due to the pain and recovery. Leading whiplash researchers have recently 
44 patients were evaluated in a research study. They had whiplash injuries from an accident in the month before. Each went thru a physical exam, an MRI to evaluate the structure of the muscles, and testing for post-traumatic stress disorder also known as PTSD.
The patients that had both high initial pain levels and signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder were most likely to develop chronic pain. The patients with PTSD didn’t only have injury to the spine but they also had obvious changes in the structure of the supporting muscles in the neck and upper back. The damage to the spine extended beyond just the bones, nerves and discs, but the reaction to the stress creates a pathological change in the muscles.
Early intervention is the key to prevent chronicity of the pain and scar tissue that develops with whiplash. Many times, accident victims don’t get evaluated after the accident due to the lack of or minimal amount of pain they are experiencing. As research proves, the earlier you get checked, you can avoid future problems that can show up weeks, months and even years down the road. Many times people come into our office with neck pain, numbness and tinglings, headaches or other symptoms that they don’t know how they started, but upon consultation and evaluation it is almost always related to a previous car accident, sports related, or other activity where the head is whipped quickly.
Many people seek medical care that just prescribe medications that temporarily cover up the symptoms of pain. These medications do not help heal the muscles, tendons and ligaments. If you take medicine for pain relief, you will have a false sense of security that you are better and will do activities that will further damage the tissues. On top of that you have to consider all of the side effects of the medications.
As a chiropractor in Freehold, NJ, we make sure your body heals optimally so we can restore your spine to it’s natural function. We fully evaluate your condition to find the cause of the problem and using chiropractic techniques, we correct the problem without the harmful effects of medication. Then you will be pain free and can enjoy your normal activities once again! Chiropractic has been found to have one of the highest success rates in treating whiplash and PTSD, which can help you reduce the possibility of having chronic pain in the future.
To find out more about our office, Hometown Family Wellness Center and Dr. Russell Brokstein, go to www.ChiropractorFreehold.com. We have been helping patients for over 13 years with injuries sustained in auto accidents. If you live in Freehold, NJ, or the surrounding towns of Marlboro, Manalapan, Howell, Colts Neck, Jackson, Morganville and other communities in Monmouth County New Jersey share this information with others and make sure you get your spine checked immediately after any injury to prevent chronic problems.
References:
- Elliott, James, and Ashley Pedler, Justin Kenardy, Graham Galloway, Gwendolen Jull, Michele Sterling. The Temporal Development of Fatty Infiltrates in the Neck Muscles Following Whiplash Injury: An Association with Pain and Posttraumatic Stress. PLoS ONE. 2011; 6 (6): e21194. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0021194.
- Ogura, Takeshi and Manabu Tashiro, Mehedi,Shoichi Watanuki, Katsuhiko Shibuya, Keiichiro Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Itoh, Hiroshi Fukuda, Kazuhiko Yanai. Cerebral Metabolic Changes in Men After Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Neck Pain. Alternative Therapies. 2011, November/December; 17 (6): 12-17