Auto Injury Care
If you have been involved in an automobile accident, receiving appropriate treatment from a qualified doctor experienced in managing auto injury is very important.

Even if you have been in a minor impact accident, your chances of sustaining injuries and even long term symptoms are very high. Most are not aware of the significant injury that occurs from the drastic forces in even the most minor accidents. Learn more details here.

The goal of treating patients suffering from auto accident injuries is not only to care for the injuries, reduce the pain and get the patient back to normal, but also to manage the accident case and handle our part of the accident claim.

Dr. Wilson is an expert at managing auto injury cases. In fact he is certified in the Diagnosis and Clinical Management of Cervical Acceleration/Deceleration Trauma and Whiplash-Related TMJ Disorders. In other words, we know what to do to help YOU!

Important facts about auto injuries you should know!

Injuries from even the most minor motor vehicle accidents (MVA) are nothing to take for granted! They represent a tremendous cost burden in this country not to mention the great amount of chronic and even disabling physical impairment that comes about from minor accidents. Getting immediate treatment from a properly trained chiropractic physician is in your best interest and may prevent you from a life of chronic but, most often, avoidable problems and pain.

There are about 12 million MVA's that occur each year in this country and they involve more than 20 million vehicles. The most common type of car accident is the rear impact collision, and the occupant of the vehicle that gets "rear-ended" is at the greatest risk of injury. This is not to say that other types of accidents such as side impact or even roll-over are not just as serious, but the vast majority of all published studies and forensic science are created from rear impact accidents. Much of the findings and positive outcomes of treatments for most MVA's can be extrapolated from these findings.

Most people are familiar with the term ‘whiplash’ which describes the type of motion that causes injury in a rear impact collision. While the great majority of all symptoms are related to injuries of the neck and head, most people do not know that the entire spine is also subjected to trauma which also produces symptoms all the way down the back to the lumbar spine and hips. The truth is, whiplash injuries can be quite complex and often include a variety of related problems. Again most symptoms are related to the head and neck which may also include cognitive dysfunction such as foggy thinking, anxiety and dizziness.
In the not too distant past, injuries that resulted in an insurance claim, and thus in legal and insurance issues were often viewed as suspect. However, there have been volumes of research and forensic studies produced over the recent years which now substantially prove a number of factors commonly associated with whiplash type injuries:

• Most injuries from rear impact accidents occur from speeds of collisions between 8 – 12 mph, which is below the threshold that would cause damage to most current vehicles.
• Delayed onset of symptoms is normal, especially at the lower speeds. It is most common for symptoms to show up days, weeks and even months after an accident.
• Victims of MVA’s who were prescribed to wear cervical collars following an accident as a therapeutic support (not for immediate protection to rule out a fracture) for a period of time resulted in a 36% increase in chronic pain and symptoms.
• The sooner patients are properly treated to restore joint function following a MVA, the sooner their recovery and the less likely of experiencing chronic problems.
• For victims of whiplash injury who do not seek care or do not receive appropriate care, the accumulation of literature claims that 43% will suffer long-term symptoms following the injury.
• If patients are still symptomatic after three months then there is almost a 90% chance that they will remain so, suffering from life-time chronic problems.

The symptoms that result from whiplash-type accidents come from injuries to the soft tissues of the vertebral joints, namely the ligaments of the joint capsule which surrounds the joint. Chiropractic care is exceptional in the treatment of soft tissue injuries, especially of the spine. In fact studies conclude that 93% of patients improve with chiropractic care. Also, according to the Insurance Research Council, nearly 1/3 of all claimants injured in MVA’s seek treatment from doctors of chiropractic.

In some instances, patients may visit a medical doctor following a MVA or the accident may result in a trip to the emergency room. But if the accident did not result in broken bones or severe bleeding for instance, then understand that the M.D.'s will likely check them but only to be released without treatment recommendations other than possibly a pain medication. Medical doctors do not know how to analyze the spinal column for subluxations nor do they know how to correct them. Millions of people leave emergency rooms unaware that they are carrying around hidden spinal distortions that may cause severe health problems at a later date.

Most motor vehicle accidents are minor, yet those are the cause of the majority of all injuries and chronic problems. In those cases chiropractic care should be sought out as qauickly as possible. Too often severe health problems first began as a little fall, whiplash or other unassuming injuries that may have caused some pain initially but it was later forgotten. Taking these accidents for granted may create a lifetime of problems that can easily be avoided.