After experiencing a car accident, you may suffer from an injury that requires special attention. No matter how severe the damage is, it is recommended that you seek chiropractic treatment. However, you may have some questions to ask your local auto injury chiropractor if you are unsure about the chiropractic process. Solutions to treat your condition will vary, but it’s your decision to make on what kind of treatment is best for you. The following are frequently asked questions that auto injury chiropractors typically receive.
What level of education do chiropractors have?
Chiropractors serve as doctors and primary-contact health care providers. They have been through a rigorous education curriculum that is approved by the Council on Chiropractic Education and accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.
The diagnosis and treatment of conditions that affect the muscles, ligaments, and joints of the spine and extremities, including the connecting nerves, is a primary focus in the chiropractic courses of study. Chiropractors typically obtain four years of pre-medical undergraduate college education experience before they attend chiropractic school. Courses such as biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology are all part of chiropractic school.
An auto injury chiropractor will typically study for as much as five years at a chiropractic college. They all get an education in specialties such as orthopedics, physiology, anatomy, neurology, clinical diagnosis, and diagnostic imaging.
Are adjustments safe?
It is crucial to keep in mind that chiropractic care is a type of therapy that is non-invasive and drug-free. No medical treatment of any kind is entirely risk-free. However, chiropractic options have a proven track record of being safe and only present minimal risk to you, the patient. Mild stiffness or soreness after an adjustment is common amongst patients, but this condition will generally cease within 24 hours.
Cervical manipulation, or a neck adjustment, treats neck pain and headaches. The goal of this procedure is to improve joint mobility and range of motion in the neck. These kinds of techniques assist in alleviating pressure and tension.
I’ve seen my medical doctor at the hospital, so why should I see a chiropractor?
If your injury is from an auto accident, you should get an evaluation by a doctor who focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of such injuries. A hospital’s Emergency Room is available to ensure that there is no life-threatening problem. You usually don’t receive treatment in an ER for any damaged biomechanical and soft tissue problems, which can result in future disability and pain.
Medical doctors typically prescribe pain pills and other anti-inflammatory drugs that only serve as a temporary band-aid for the problem. Chiropractors are doctors that understand the soft tissue healing process. Additionally, they know that the process does not involve the consumption of any drugs.
Do chiropractors take X-Rays?
Chiropractors that are willing to take x-rays before they give you a chiropractic adjustment are chiropractors you can trust. X-rays assist in ruling out fractures while also determining the health of the joints and discs. X-rays also provide an estimate on the length of time it will take for you to recover. In addition, it estimates which chiropractic techniques will give you the best chance of recovery.
An auto injury chiropractor who is unwilling to take x-rays and will instead go right into an adjustment is not conducting enough research concerning your injury or pain condition. Though not taking x-rays saves money and time, you may not receive the proper treatment you need to recover completely. For example, if you suffered a fracture and don’t know about it, your injury could become worse after having a chiropractic adjustment. It is always best that you ask chiropractors to take x-rays before they perform any adjustments.
What are common auto injury chiropractic techniques?
Auto injury chiropractors can use several different techniques for adjusting their patients. However, in some cases, your chiropractor may only be proficient in one particular technique. The main drawback to this type of chiropractor is that one approach may not be sufficient enough to treat the condition that you have.
As a patient, find out how much experience your chiropractor has in performing multiple techniques. If the auto injury chiropractor performs more than one technique, they will provide the right treatment for your needs.
There are many different chiropractic techniques that can be performed to treat auto injuries. There is a defined list of commonly used methods, according to the Job Analysis of Chiropractic. The most frequently used technique on this list is the Diversified Technique, which involves a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust that leads to the cavitation of a joint. These thrusts are quick and shallow and cause the popping noise that often comes with a standard chiropractic adjustment.
A variation of the Diversified Technique is the Thompson Technique, which uses several segments called dropped pieces. This technique can move up a fraction of an inch. So, when the chiropractor applies pressure, the special table will drop this fraction. The thrust is aided by the drop pieces, while the required force for the adjustment is minimized.
A lesser-known technique is the Pierce-Stillwagon Technique, which uses a drop table for prone pelvic adjusting or adjusting in the cervical region. Chiropractors use x-rays and thermography to decide which spinal levels need adjustments.
If I need treatment for an auto injury, am I responsible for payment?
In most cases, you are not responsible. Only on rare occasions do you have to pay for chiropractic treatment. In most cases, chiropractors will wait until you settle your case with an attorney, providing care with no strings attached. Some insurance policies have what is referred to as Med Pay. This will pay the full amount of medical bills up to a certain limit.
Who should I see first? My attorney? Or my auto injury chiropractor?
It is essential to use common sense when you decide whether or not you should receive chiropractic care. If your attorney recommends that you see a chiropractor first, he or she is generally not wrong in making that suggestion. Although, it does raise questions of what is the relationship between your attorney and that chiropractor.
Your first concern should always be your health. When you conduct research for a list of potential chiropractors, the results of your findings will give you the information you need to decide if chiropractic care is right for you. Particularly if the chiropractor your attorney sent you to does not act professional, then you have reason to fire your attorney. Depending on the extent of your injury, the information you find on what you need to do before bringing your case into court is key if you decide to hire an attorney.
Additional Questions About Auto Injury Chiropractors
If you have any additional questions to ask regarding chiropractic care, feel free to contact us! If you have suffered an injury from an auto accident and you are seeking a chiropractor in the Pensacola area, Dr. Derek Finger can assist you in getting back on the road to recovery. Having more than 20 years of experience in treating patients with chiropractic care, Dr. Finger is a licensed chiropractic physician who provides the level of care needed for patients in their healing process.
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