Upper Cervical Chiropractic Corrects Neck Injury from Car Accidents, Reduces Pain from Whiplash
Every year in the United States there are more than 5.5 million motor vehicle accidents and approximately 31,000 people are killed from these car accidents. Automobile statistics show that more than 3.5 million deaths have occurred in the United States from car accidents since 1899.
That number represents more deaths from cars than war fatalities from every military conflict in which the US has been involved. Also, over 2 million people are significantly injured during car accidents and many will not find adequate care to help reverse the devastating effects of a whiplash injury caused by car traumas.
Chiropractic Care: Help for Pain After a WV Collision
When someone is involved in a car accident, the most vulnerable area of the human body for injury is where the neck and skull connect (upper cervical area). There are many factors that contribute to a victim’s injury such as the size of the vehicles, the speed of the car, driving surface, direction of hit, seatbelt use, and airbag deployment.
It is critical that victims are assessed by emergency personnel for any life threatening injuries and after the proper care has been provided and the patient is stable, they need to immediately seek the specialized care of an Upper Cervical Chiropractor.
Very few if any people will escape a car accident without some type of injury to the top of their neck and if it is not corrected and stabilized by an Upper Cervical Chiropractor, it will lead to very disabling conditions as time continues to progress.
In North America, there are about 70,000 licensed chiropractors and about 2% of them are specialists referred to as Upper Cervical Chiropractors. These Upper Cervical Chiropractors have chosen to limit their focus on specific injuries to the upper neck area. Those same injuries caused by car accidents.
Upper Cervical Chiropractors have performed additional study of the upper neck area and developed and practice very specific procedures that have proven to detect and correct any injury or misalignment of this area due to traumatic injuries.
The anatomy of the upper neck area is very susceptible to injury from extreme flexion and extension motion often experienced during a car accident. This area of the spine can undergo severe compression and shearing forces upon the very delicate joint structures, nerve tissue and connective tissues that are responsible for holding the skull and neck in a balanced and healthy position.
If this area is shifted more than 1 millimeter during a trauma, then the victim will begin to experience serious and debilitating symptoms and conditions. Many people will experience neck pain, migraine headaches, numbness and tingling in the arms/hands, dizziness, hearing loss, tinnitus, difficulty swallowing, lack of concentration, memory loss, jaw pain, depression, anxiety, mid and lower back pain and eventually accelerated degenerative spinal conditions such as arthritis, spinal stenosis and disc degeneration.
More recent research into concussion effects indicates that the upper neck injury can lead to degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s and dementia. It is very critical that all car accident victims seek the specialized care of an Upper Cervical Chiropractor as soon as possible.
Upon consulting with an Upper Cervical Chiropractor, the doctor will review your detailed health history to include the car accident details, perform several very specific spinal examinations such as range of motion, neck palpation, posture measurements, supine leg length analysis, surface electromyography, spinal thermography and very detailed upper neck x-rays to detect the severity of the injury.
If an injury is detected, the doctor will then proceed by performing a very specific and gentle correction to the position of your neck with their hands or an instrument. After the correction is performed, the doctor will then take a second set of x-rays to make sure that a good correction was achieved and that the recovery process should begin.
The next step is to establish a care plan of regular and frequent check-ups to keep the injury corrected. Although the destruction to your spine occurred in an instant, unfortunately the process of healing requires regular care over time. Most patients will notice some relief within several weeks of care but full recovery could require 6-12 months and sometimes longer depending on the severity of the injury.
Morgantown WV Chiropractors Helping People Recover after Whiplash and Neck Injuries
If you have experienced a car accident or know someone that has been involved in a car accident, I want to strongly encourage you to seek out an Upper Cervical Chiropractor regardless of how far you need to travel. After 15 years in practice, we have helped thousands of people get relief and recovery from severe neck injuries and I have never had one person tell me that they regretted their decision to seek upper cervical care.
The sooner the neck injury is detected and corrected, the sooner you will be able to return to your normal life. You do not need to suffer for the remainder of your life and there are many dedicated, compassionate and excellent Upper Cervical Chiropractors that are willing to help restore a higher quality of life for you!
Bio: Dr. Lucas C. Watterson is a co-founder along with his wife, Dr. Amy J. Watterson of Mountain State Wellness, PLLC.
The Wattersons have helped thousands of people from 15 different states restore their health from car accident injuries.
Both Dr. Lucas and Dr. Amy are available for presentations at your business, meeting or event.
They can be contacted atwww.mtnstatewellness.comor call 304.292.7740.
Upper Cervical Spine Illustration Reprinted with permission from Daniel C. Clark, DC
Jeffery Robinette was admitted to practice law in 1991 and is licensed in all levels of state and federal trial courts in West Virginia. Mr. Robinette is also licensed in all state and federal appeals courts in West Virginia and the United States Supreme Court. As a National Board Certified Trial Attorney who has handled hundreds of motor vehicle, injury, and construction defect claims and a leading author on insurance claims settlement issues and difficulties in West Virginia, Jeff Robinette is uniquely qualified to represent your best interest.
