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(253) 272-5226The following is a guest post from Warwick Chiropractic & Massage. Located in Lacey, the top chiropractors at Warwick Chiropractic & Massage have treated many victims of car collisions over the years. Today, they’ll share why getting proper medical care early is essential to both your recovery and your claim.
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Bam! You saw it coming too late and there was no avoiding it. You’ve just been rear ended. The force of impact pushed you forwards, but your seatbelt preventing you from continuing moving forward into the dash. After all, that is what it is there for.
However, there is an unwanted consequence to this action. The seatbelt may hold you back, but your head still moves forwards and then quickly back in a snap-like effect. This is whiplash. A very common accident injury.
When one thinks of whiplash, they may imagine it comes as a result of a high-speed incident, but believe it or not, whiplash can occur at speeds as low as 7 mph.
Whiplash can be problematic in the long run if not treated early on. Studies show that some 33% of whiplash injuries do turn into chronic pain further along the line. This is a problem not only in terms of pain and suffering, but if it has not been reported as part of the accident, then any subsequent claim most likely would be denied by insurance.
Think about it. If a victim did nothing, then not only is long-term pain and suffering possible, but then getting treatment down the road will be more costly, more time consuming, and may even lead to time off work and the loss of ability to do normal activities. Loss of money and loss of freedom is likely when receiving treatment early on would prevent all that.
It is therefore vital that any person suffering an accident injury be examined as soon as possible for the following reasons:
So, what happens if whiplash isn’t treated quickly? Whether the victim experiences pain or not at this point, it is very likely that there are many micro tears in muscles around the neck. If left untreated, these tears will heal by themselves, but they will not heal properly.
Over time, dysfunction in the neck will increase. Scar tissue and adhesions will form. As the neck is moved in normal use, dysfunction slowly deteriorates causing friction and inflammation. Ultimately, inflammation generates pain and the condition gets worse.
If you think of what happens when you rub your hands together for a long time. Slowly friction generates heat and if you keep going, callouses will form. The area becomes inflamed and is painful. At that point, it’s hard to do anything with your hands and anything you do, makes it worse.
Whiplash is the same and this is why it is essential for the injury to be treated as soon as possible. The earlier it is treated, the sooner it can heal the right way and not degenerate over time.
And of course, on the legal side of things, having this injury (and any other that comes up in an examination) can then be applied to the accident ensuring that insurance does what it is supposed to do, and that is pay out.
So where is the best place to find treatment?
Warwick Chiropractic and Massage have been treating accident patients for many years. Easily located just off Martin Way East in Lacey, Dr. Warwick and staff are there to help any accident victim find relief from accident injuries through chiropractic treatment and massage therapy. The practice is walk in friendly, although appointments can be made online or by phone (360) 951-4504.
With over 650 5-star Google reviews, Dr. Warwick and his team are ready and able to provide high quality care and treatment and know and understand the accident process very well. All pertinent medical documentation is provided to help the patient’s case on the legal side of things as well.