Today I wanted to give a simple explanation of the healing process of our body following a "sprain/strain" injury and how our treatment helps with the long term effects of those injuries.
If you have ever been involved in a motor vehicle accident you probably remember that everything happened so fast that you don't even remember what happened to your body. Most people tell us, after being rear-ended, that they remember their body moving forward. Well the "moving forward" is typically the second event after the body is pushed back into the seat. The moving forward is the "whip" that happens. Being that your head is not supported in the same manner as your back, your neck usually suffers the brunt of the injury. So then what.....Sometimes people feel pain right away and for others it can take a day or two to feel the effects of the overstretching and tearing or the soft tissues. Basically what happens in a whiplash type of injury is you get tearing of the soft tissues close to the spine (muscles, ligament, tendons). After this occurs your body starts to heal itself immediately with scar tissue which is normal The problem with scar tissue is that it is weaker and less flexible than what was there before. When you feel the tight muscles in your neck and back, a lot of times that is just your body trying to naturally "splint" the area so that motion is limited during healing process. The problem with this lack of motion, if not correcedt, is some of those joints never move normally again which leads to degeneration, arthritis - AND PAIN!
What we do and why:
We start with a thorough history and examination to determine the extent of your injuries. Then we review with you our plan of action to get you on the road to recovery. Many times you will receive treatment that first day consisting of gentle mobilization, to start remodeling that scar tissue, ice to help with inflammation and EMS/Interferential Stim to help with muscle spams and to promote healing of the injured tissues. During this phase of care we are focused on reducing inflammation, remodeling scar tissue, reducing pain and improving function. During phase II of care we transition into rehabilitation and strengthening of the injured muscles and ligaments. We do this with strength training and balance coordination work. We also focus more work on the tight muscles with hydro therapy and/or intersegmental traction. Through all phases of care the you will receive Chiropractic adjustments to restore normal motion and function to your joints. During the final phase of care the length of time between visits will be increased so that we can monitor your symptoms as you get back to your normal life.
What we also do for you is we supply your attorney, if you have one, with all records and reports necessary so that they can accurately relay the extent your injuries to the insurance companies. We also get all hospital/doctor/specialist records so that your attorney (basically you) does not have to pay for those. We do his all FREE OF CHARGE as a courtesy to you. We use the most up-to-date EMR/paperless computer system (electornic medical records) to make the documentation of your injuries clear and understandable.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! We take care of all the paperwork with your insurance and your attorney so that all you have to do it show up and get better! Give us a call today! We can help! 978-374-1084