After an auto accident that might not have caused serious damage, individuals often believe that they’re fine only to find out later that there is a serious injury. How do these hidden injuries happen? It is because of the body’s fight or flight response that it activates into high gear. It does whatever is necessary to get out of harm’s way. The result is that individuals might not realize/discover that they have been injured until after the dangerous circumstances have passed. Auto accident doctors and chiropractors are very familiar with these types of hidden injuries.
The injuries sustained from non-damage-causing auto accidents are often not visible. This can be internal injuries and joint and muscle misalignments that can often only be seen through extensive x-rays, MRIs, or detailed physical examination. However, a professional chiropractor can determine the root causes of an injury from a single consultation.
Hidden Injuries
Whiplash
Some injuries, like delayed whiplash, do not present immediately because it can take days for symptoms to develop. This is the most common injury caused by an auto accident. This is when the head snaps back and then forward rapidly/violently during a collision. The jolting back-and-forth motion causes muscle strain, sprain, which can stretch and/or tear the tendons and muscles in the neck. The injury can be worsened as the individual does not realize that they have this injury, and they turn, rotate, and crane their necks like normal. Symptoms include:
A stiff/tight neck
Dull neck pain
Upper back pain
Shoulder stiffness, aches, and pain
It is recommended to see a doctor or chiropractor as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment.
Muscle, Tendon, and Ligament Injuries
Muscle, tendon, and/or ligament injuries can happen due to whiplash, but they can also happen in other parts of the body like the hands, elbows, knees, and ankles.
Contact Injuries Bruises and Swelling
Drivers and passengers can bruise and swell from contact with hard surfaces like the steering wheel, dashboard, and doors. Seat belts can also cause injury from quick/rapid braking or a crash.
Concussion
This is when the brain forcefully makes contact with the skull resulting in bruising/injury to the brain. It is recommended to see a doctor immediately if any of the following are experienced after an auto accident:
Dizziness
Loss of balance/equilibrium when standing and walking
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty remembering things
Spinal Trauma
The spine can sustain separate injury/s or trauma as a result of an auto accident. This includes:
Dislocation/s
Fractures
Compressed vertebrae
Crushed vertebrae
More symptoms can present after the shock wears off.
This often reveals severe, debilitating injury/s that affect the nerves and muscle control of different organs and body parts.
Bio-Chiropractic Treatment and Rehabilitation
One of the most effective and recommended ways to relieve pain and properly heal hidden injuries is chiropractic treatment and rehabilitation. A professional chiropractor can prevent further injuries from developing while easing and alleviating current pain.
No Medication Necessary
More people are becoming addicted to prescription medications following accidents and other trauma. Chiropractic care treats the cause of pain without medications. This allows the body to heal naturally and for movement to come back naturally.
Reduces Long Term Pain
Many continue to deal with back, neck, and other chronic pain conditions after an accident. Chiropractic gets to the root of the problem. The therapy sessions manipulate the body and help naturally restore the body’s total range of movement. A chiropractor will recommend exercises and stretches to keep the body strong and flexible to help prevent pain.
Reduces Scar Tissue
After the body goes through a trauma like an auto accident, muscles and ligaments can be stretched and torn. This can cause areas of internal scar tissue can develop. This can limit movement. Chiropractic helps reduce scar tissue by keeping the tissues loose and relaxed. This allows a normal range of movement.
Inflammation Alleviation
Auto injury/s can lead to long-term inflammation that can make life miserable. Chiropractors are trained to spot hidden micro-tears that x-rays are not able to scan. However, it is microscopic tears inside the muscles that are often the leading cause of inflammation. With physical manipulation, the body will be able to rerelease IL-6 substances naturally. This is a vital anti-inflammatory.
Healthy Body Composition
Personalized Functional Medicine
Personalized functional medicine is a new model of medicine that considers an individualized approach when making health recommendations. The body works as an integrated system, not as individual parts. This form of medicine combines new technology approaches, including recent gene expression and life and behavioral sciences discoveries. Personalized functional medicine looks at the subject of nutrigenomics. Nutrigenomics is defined as the relationship between nutrients and gene expression. Like identifying individual body composition, nutrigenomics testing can help individuals understand how dietary components influence their genes. This can help prevent the development of chronic diseases.
References
Calil, Ana Maria et al. “Mapping injuries in traffic accident victims: a literature review.” Revista latino-americana de enfermagem vol. 17,1 (2009): 120-5. doi:10.1590/s0104-11692009000100019
Dindi, Kuru et al. “Road traffic injuries: Epidemiology, challenges, and initiatives in India.” The National medical journal of India vol. 32,2 (2019): 113-117. doi:10.4103/0970-258X.275355
Minich, Deanna M, and Jeffrey S Bland. “Personalized lifestyle medicine: relevance for nutrition and lifestyle recommendations.” TheScientificWorldJournal vol. 2013 129841. 26 Jun. 2013, doi:10.1155/2013/129841
Palmnäs, Marie et al. “Perspective: Metabotyping-A Potential Personalized Nutrition Strategy for Precision Prevention of Cardiometabolic Diseases.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 11,3 (2020): 524-532. doi:10.1093/advances/nmz121
Sims, J K et al. “Automobile accident occupant injuries.” JACEP vol. 5,10 (1976): 796-808. doi:10.1016/s0361-1124(76)80313-9
Spinal vertebral compression fractures are a common injury in older individuals brought on from a lowered bone density. Hip and wrist fractures get most of the attention when it comes to osteoporosis. However, spinal fractures happen almost twice as often and affect around 700,000 individuals yearly. This is according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons or the AAOS. These types of fractures are also known as:
Fragility fractures
Vertebral compression fractures
Osteoporotic compression fractures. These usually happen as a result of thinning and weakening bones caused by osteoporosis.
The Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons notes that changes in the body’s musculoskeletal bone structure can go unnoticed for years. This leads to the vertebrae narrowing and flattening, rounding the spine as a result, creating compression. Because of the weakened bone, the pressure, even from everyday low-impact movements like reaching, bending or twisting. There are strategies that can help prevent osteoporosis and osteoporotic compression fractures.
More Movement and Physical Activity
One prevention strategy that is highly recommended is more movement and physical activity. This does not include occasional gentle movements like taking a break from sitting. Improving the spine’s health means using the full range of motion and loading the bones so they can get build strength. This could be walking more, which creates spinal resistance. Also using light weights with high repetitions with five to ten pounds of a load is enough to challenge the spine without generating muscle stress.
Individuals think they need to rest more as they get older, but to build and maintain bone density to prevent osteoporotic compression fractures more physical activity is needed. Moving around for 10 to 15 minutes every hour is a good way to start. Incorporating more activity, and focusing on healthy diet changes will help shed excess weight. This will decrease pressure on the spine, reducing the risk of fractures. For individuals with osteoporosis of the spine, it is important to review any exercise plans with a physician or doctor of chiropractic to ensure that they are safe. The wrong types of movement or too much stress on a fragile spine can definitely cause a fracture.
Medications and Other Conditions
There are medications that can help build bone density, but there are also medications for conditions that can actually cause faster bone density loss. Individuals could be taking a medication that’s good for one issue/condition, but not realize it may be associated with a reduction in bone density. This is why it is important to review prescriptions with a doctor with bone density loss side effects in mind. Medications that can cause bone loss include:
Anti-seizure drugs like carbamazepine and phenytoin
Diuretics like furosemide
Also, review any underlying conditions that could affect osteoporosis. As an example, the National Institutes of Health or NIH note that individuals with diabetes, specifically type 1, can have poor bone quality increasing their risk of fractures.
Adding Calcium To The Diet
An adequate intake of calcium is essential for osteoporosis prevention and helps lower the risk of fragility fractures. A low calcium intake contributes significantly to lower bone density and faster bone loss with age. Vitamin D also helps in bone injury prevention.
Treatment
Compression fracture/s diagnosis are confirmed through imaging tests like:
X-rays
Magnetic resonance imaging MRI scan
Bone scan
Computed tomography CT scan
Bone density testing with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry DEXA will determine bone mineral density. If a scan reveals there is a vertebral compression fracture, the most common approach is no treatment. According to the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, most individuals with this type of injury improve within three months with a combined rest period and limited pain medication use.
Some individuals are recommended to wear braces to restrict movement so the fracture can heal without any added compression or stress. For those that do not respond to non-surgical treatment, minimally invasive surgery could become an option. In both cases, a doctor will suggest similar aforementioned strategies to help strengthen the bones and prevent worsening or creating new issues.
More flab on the middle that gets harder to burn off
Performance at work, the gym, or on the road slows down or begins to reverse
Workouts, sporting events, physical activity that the body was able to bounce back from quite easily now take twice as long to recover from
Things start to change when the body enters its 30’s. Whether light exercise, playing weekend games, local sports, etc, the key is to just stay active. By paying close attention to nutrition and making minor adjustments, individuals can maintain and improve body composition, stay strong and healthy in their 30s and be ready for the future.
Disclaimer
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP, CIFM, CTG* email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com phone: 915-850-0900 Licensed in Texas & New Mexico
Motorcycle accidents are a lot different from automobile accidents. Specifically is how much the riders are exposed and unprotected during the collision impact compared to individuals in a motor vehicle. A recommendation that comes from attorneys, doctors, and chiropractors is for all motorcyclists to learn about common causes of accidents to help prevent and reduce the level of risk.When on a motorcycle, there is nothing between the individual and the impact to protect the body from injury. If something hits the motorcycle, the individual is going to get hit or hit something. The strength and stamina that it takes to ride a motorcycle, takes a definite toll on the body. It’s very common for the spine to get out of alignment and sustain soft tissue damage from regular riding. Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic can help bring pain relief and rehabilitate the body’s musculoskeletal system from regular riding or after a motorcycle accident.
Head-On Collisions
Accidents and crashes that involve motorcycles and other vehicles account for over half of motorcycle accident deaths. In a majority of these accidents, the vehicle hits the motorcycle from the front more than 70% of the time. Automobiles hit motorcycles from behind only 5% of the time.
Vehicles Making Left-Hand Turns
When an automobile is making a left-hand turn is one of the most dangerous situations for motorcyclists. These collisions account for almost half of all accidents involving a motorcycle and car. The turning car usually hits the motorcycle when the motorcycle:
Goes straight through an intersection
Is passing the automobile
Trying to overtake the automobile
These types of accidents are common with cars and trucks as well. However, the motorcycle’s smaller size makes it even less visible to turning vehicles.
Lane Splitting
Motorcycles that pass cars within the same lane are at an increased risk of getting hit. Car and truck drivers don’t expect the motorcyclist to pass and are often taken by surprise. Lane splitting is when a motorcycle drives between two lanes of stopped or slowly moving cars, typically during high traffic time. It is a common cause of motorcycle accidents because:
The close proximity of the automobiles to the motorcycle
Reduced space that the motorcyclist has to maneuver around the other vehicles
Most drivers don’t see or anticipate a motorcycle passing them in slowed or stopped traffic
Road Hazards
Motorcyclists are at an increased risk from road hazards. Because of the smaller size and unstable nature of the motorcycle:
Potholes
Roadkill
Slick road conditions
Uneven height between lanes
Other unexpected objects in the road pose a serious threat.
Common Injuries
Hip/Pelvic Misalignment
The pelvis has three major joints:
The pubic joint on the front of the body
Two sacroiliac joints on each side of the back, that connect the pelvis to the spine.
It also connects to different muscles, including the hip and pelvic floor. When the body falls on the hip or sustains various forms of crash-related impact, the hip or pelvis can get shifted out of place. This type of misalignment is a leading cause of back pain and can be agonizing. It can keep an individual off the road, and unable to work. A chiropractor can adjust any pelvic misalignment using manipulative therapy. Physical therapy rehabilitation and home exercises/stretches will also be recommended.
Whiplash
This is a type of neck injury that happens from a forceful, back-and-forth motion, during the impact of a crash, or with a sudden stop. It is a soft tissue injury where the tendons and muscles of the neck are stretched and/or torn. Common symptoms include:
Pain
Tingling
Stiffness
Limited range of motion
A chiropractor can help with gentle adjustments to realign the neck, and muscle stretching to loosen the tense muscles.
Other Neck Injuries
Other injuries can include misalignment or fractures of the vertebrae in the neck from a different impact like a side hit. Chiropractic can help an individual recover from these types of injuries and restoring the range of motion. Gentle chiropractic manipulative, mobilization treatment, and intersegmental traction can help realign the neck.
Back Injury
The spine and its muscles are highly prone to injury. Common injuries include:
Fractures
Herniated/slipped discs
Spinal misalignment
Soft tissue injuries
A chiropractor can rehabilitate musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries through therapeutic massage.
Leg/Foot Injury
Injuries to the legs and feet are common in motorcycle accidents. Common injuries include:
Sprains
Strains
Road rash
Fractures
Biker’s Arm
Biker’s arm also known as rider’s arm, is specific to motorcyclists and sometimes bicyclists. It happens when a motorcyclist instinctively pulls in their arm/hand in front of them to try and lessen the impact when falling. This can lead to shoulder, arm, wrist, and hand injuries. The bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and nerves can suffer damage and can be severe.
Treatment
Treatment of these injuries can range from a soft collar, chiropractic, anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections, nerve blocks, and physical therapy. Surgery could be necessary and combined with the aforementioned treatments. Motorcycle riders can increase their safety by being aware of the common causes of accidents, staying alert, and taking steps to reduce and avoid the risk.
Body Composition Overall Health
Phase Angle Inflammation Injury Tracking
Phase angle determines the status of an individual’s overall health. If an individual gets hurt and has a low phase angle then their ability to heal can be delayed. The extracellular water and water mass of the body are measured to assess how swollen an individual is after an accident. The individual is reassessed every two weeks to show water loss or inflammation loss. Body composition is important for understanding an individual’s fluid status and physiological makeup. This is used for guiding and developing treatments aimed at improving status, and decreasing the length of staying at a hospital. InBody is non-invasive and convenient, making it the ideal tool for patient assessments. In less than 60 seconds, the InBody test provides easy-to-understand, accurate, and objective measurements to evaluate a patient’s health and monitor progress throughout their treatment. Doctors use InBody to:
Identify fluid imbalances related to medical conditions, trauma, and/or organ failure
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP, CIFM, CTG* email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.comphone: 915-850-0900Licensed in Texas & New Mexico
References
Cherta Ballester, Oscar et al. “Analysis of trunk impact conditions in motorcycle road accidents based on epidemiological, accidentological data and multibody simulations.” Accident; analysis and prevention vol. 127 (2019): 223-230. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2019.03.006
Halbersberg, Dan, and Boaz Lerner. “Young driver fatal motorcycle accident analysis by jointly maximizing accuracy and information.” Accident; analysis and prevention vol. 129 (2019): 350-361. doi:10.1016/j.aap.2019.04.016
Spinal cord injury: Causes. Mayo Clinic Web site. www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-cord-injury/basics/causes/con-20023837. Published October 8, 2014. Accessed August 30, 2017.
While bruising, soreness, and scrapes are common, whiplash and chronic whiplash injuries may not show for several days or weeks. While today’s vehicles are safer than ever, they can still only do so much when it comes to the body and musculoskeletal health. Being involved in an automobile accident, even a light tap can give a sudden jolt to the spine that although the individual might not have felt anything like discomfort or pain, it was enough to shift the disc/s out of place or set them up to shift out of place. No one wants to be involved in a car or motorcycle accident, but regardless of good driving habits, or how advanced the safety features on the vehicle might be, the average driver will be involved in three to four automobile accidents in their life.
Whiplash
Whiplash and chronic whiplash injuries are common in motor vehicle accidents. More than 3 million Americans will see a doctor and a chiropractor for automobile accidents and whiplash effects. It only takes a 2.5 mph hit to cause an injury. And whiplash doesn’t only happen when hit from behind, there are several ways an individual can be subjected to whiplash, including being T-boned, amusement park rides, and falling off a bicycle or a horse.
Symptoms
Most whiplash symptoms develop in the first twenty-four hours, but this is not always the case. Common symptoms include:
Most individuals realize they have whiplash a day or two after, but for others, it can take a few weeks or even months to present. Whiplash is classified by degree or grade:
Grade 0
The individual has no complaints and there are no symptoms/signs of physical injury.
Grade 1
There is neck pain but there are no physical signs of injury.
Grade 2
There are signs/symptoms of musculoskeletal damage and neck pain is presenting.
Grade 3
There are signs/symptoms of neurological damage and neck pain is presenting.
The average amount of time most individuals stay home from work is around 40 days. However, when whiplash pain lasts longer than a few weeks, it is deemed to be chronic whiplash.
Chronic Whiplash
Some individuals with whiplash experience painful symptoms for years. This is true of those that avoid or refuse medical attention and learn to live with it.
Treatment Options
There are very effective methods for treating whiplash and chronic whiplash injuries. Depending on the extent of the injury/s, developing the right treatment/rehabilitation plan requires individual consultation with a chiropractor to discuss options that can include:
Pain Relief
The pain can be excruciating. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen for temporary relief. However, the individual will need extended treatment to ensure it does not become chronic pain.
Neck Brace
Neck braces help limit the pain, but should not be worn for more than three or four days. If worn for too long the neck muscles are prevented from gaining the strength needed to support the head.
Don’t Sit For Too Long
Avoid keeping the head in any one position for too long. This includes sitting in bed, watching TV, or working at a desk. This places a large amount of pressure and stress on the neck, making the pain even more severe and longer-lasting.
Sleeping Properly and Comfortably
For many, it can be difficult to get into a comfortable position when sleeping. Sleeping on the back with the head turned to one side can worsen the pain. Try a high-quality ergonomic pillow that allows the individual to sleep on their side and takes the pressure off of the neck.
Spinal Alignment
Whiplash can cause the spine to shift out of alignment. This can lead to additional problems in the back or shoulders. It�s always a good idea to see a chiropractor that specializes in motor vehicle accident injuries to realign the spine and neck, as well as for rehabilitation to strengthen the muscles and prevent further injuries. See a chiropractor for an evaluation of the injuries and develop a customized treatment plan that works for the individual’s condition.
Everyone is different
Some individuals can be stiff and sore for a few days and then are okay with not much pain. Some individuals experience severe pain immediately after the wreck, while others have no pain for days or even weeks. Both scenarios are pretty common. Soft tissue injuries can be very deceiving. Some don�t experience any pain for months after the accident. Many don�t think they need to see a doctor or chiropractor because there is no pain or symptoms. However, underneath serious problems could be getting ready to present including:
Constant headaches
Numbness or pins and needles in the hands or arms
Pain between the shoulder blades
Poor posture
Chronic muscle tension
Painful spasms
Degeneration of the discs
Painful inflamed arthritis
The quick development of arthritis
Sore, tight, or inflexible muscles
Sleep disturbances
Fatigue
Dizziness
Body Composition
A decrease in physical activity
Physical inactivity is a primary factor in the progression of sarcopenia. Resistance exercise can help maintain muscle mass and help build muscular strength. Individuals that are more sedentary can exacerbate the effects of sarcopenia.
A decrease in motor neurons
Aging is accompanied by motor neuron loss resulting from cell death. This leads to a decrease in muscle fiber. This decrease in muscle fibers leads to:
Impaired performance
A reduction in functional capacity
A decreased ability to perform everyday tasks
Dr. Alex Jimenez�s Blog Post Disclaimer
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas& New Mexico*
Anybody can have chronic pain. Adults typically complain of joint pain, low back pain, and neurogenic pain. While children and teenagers are more likely to have more headaches, abdominal pain, leg, and hand pain. Regardless there are individuals that have a higher risk because of their age, gender, and job. It isn’t always clear what causes chronic pain. There are several possibilities: �
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Injury – Even after the injury has healed, the nerves keep sending pain signals to and from the brain. Doctors are still not sure why this occurs.
Disease – Conditions can cause chronic pain like fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis.
Nerve problems – Part of the nervous system can be injured, the nerves themselves. This is called neuropathic pain.
Unknown Cause/s – Pain that presents with no obvious injury, disease, or nerve problem.
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Military Veterans
Chronic pain is quite common in veterans according to a National Veterans Affairs Study. Around one in five veterans receiving primary care have chronic pain. While one in ten has chronic pain syndrome. Veterans recently served in a war, tend to report a variety of causes for their pain. This includes:
Multiple injuries
Brain trauma
Muscle injuries
Bone/s injuries
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Athletes
Most sports require a certain level of fitness. Athletes train with all types of activities to help maintain their body’s. Unfortunately, they are still not immune to chronic pain. Chronic pain is common with:
Spinal stenosis is a narrowed spinal canal, which creates added pressure on the nerves that travel through the low spine into the legs
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Seniors
Age is a high-risk factor for chronic pain. Around 30-40% of individuals older than sixty-five have or are beginning to deal with chronic pain. The severity in anybody forty-five to sixty-five is the greatest. Common conditions that cause chronic pain in older adults are:
Cancer
Arthritis and gout
Heart disease
Kidney disease
Damaged nerves
Stroke
Shingles
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Women
Men and women experience pain differently. Several factors contribute to this. These include:
Hormones
Menstruation
Puberty
Reproductive health
Women have a higher risk of developing disorders that cause chronic pain. Examples include:
Arthritis
Brittle bones
Migraines
Irritable bowel syndrome
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Anybody dealing with chronic pain, finding relief can be difficult and time-consuming. Individuals are often sent back and forth between primary care, specialists, and therapists for a solution.
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Improved Nervous System
When there is a communication breakdown between the brain and the body�s tissues, organs, and cells it can lead to a variety of health problems. There are manychronic and even degenerative health conditions that are impacted by the nervous system. Studies have shown that chiropractic is a highly effective treatment for numerous neurological conditions which include:
Ataxia
Autism
Cerebral palsy
Epilepsy
Multiple sclerosis
Parkinson�s
Tourette�s Syndrome
Vertigo
Anybody can seek treatment and they will experience the benefits. Chiropractic provides a safe, effective treatment for an improved nervous system function. The type, frequency, and intensity of treatment depend on the patient and condition. Chiropractic positively affects the nervous system and as a result, positively affects the whole body.
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Chronic Body Pain Treatment
Dr. Alex Jimenez�s Blog Post Disclaimer
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas& New Mexico*
Accident/Collisions are seeing a rise and along with those crashes are spinal injuries. What you need to know about:
Accident-related injuries
Treatment
Recovery
Legal issues
We take a risk, however small, every time we get in the car/truck, of being involved in a car wreck that results in injuries and specifically a spinal injury/s. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center has seen that motor vehicle accidents/collisions with the majority being car/truck accidents. �
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However, with all the construction taking place nowadays, excavators, bulldozers, steamrollers, forklifts, and other vehicles are also seeing a rise in accidents. This is also generating a rise in spinal cord injury/s. Auto accidents are now ranked as the number one cause of spinal injury. The risk of an accident is small and the risk of a resulting serious spine injury is smaller still, it�s not anything. What you need to know about a motor vehicle accident/collision includes:
Injuries
Treatment
Recovery
Insurance
Legal issues
Common Motor Vehicle Accidents/Collisions
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Whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most typical injuries following an accident, especially when rear-ended or a rear-end collision. Its a neck injury that happens when the neck snaps suddenly back and forth causing trauma to the tissues in the neck. Symptoms often develop a few days after the accident including:
Limited neck movement
Stiffness and pain in the neck
Pain or tenderness in the upper back, shoulders, and arms
Numbness or tingling in the arms
Dizzyness
Headaches starting at the base of the skull
Problems with concentration or memory
Ringing in the ears
Sleep issues
Depression
Herniated Disc
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The discs in the spine cushion the vertebrae by absorbing the weight, force, and overall impact of a regular day. They are made of a soft, gel-like substance in the center that behaves like the gel in foot orthotics, shoes, mattresses, etc made to feel soft and comfortable. It has a tough outer membrane.
A herniated disc happens when that soft gel springs a leak/s out from a tear, meaning the shock-absorbing cushion has been compromised and is not delivering the absorption it’s supposed to and places added pressure on the surrounding nerve/s and roots. Herniations can happen naturally from age and from jobs that involve consistent and constant repetitive:
Pushing
Pulling
Bending
Twisting
Herniations also happen after going through some type of physical trauma like a motor vehicle accident/collision. Symptoms depend on where the herniation occurs and include:
Muscle weakness around the affected nerve/s
Sharp shooting pain that can spread out from the shoulders to the arms, legs and low back
Tingling in arms or legs
Numbness
There could also be no symptoms and no discovery of a herniated disc until tested for something else.
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Vertebral Fractures
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The vertebrae are highly susceptible to fractures of all types and can appear at any spot along the spine. For many, the injuries are mild and heal with non-surgical treatment and time. Major trauma to the spine can cause severe injuries/conditions which include:
Burst fractures
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This is where the vertebra fractures in multiple places into bony fragments that fall into the spinal cord getting lodged inside with the jagged edges of the bones creating tears, cuts, etc that can result in paralysis and even death.
Flexion fracture
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This is an injury seen in head-on collisions where the upper part of the body gets thrown forward and the bottom part stays in place likely from the seatbelt. This tears the vertebra apart resulting in a flexion teardrop fracture.
Vertebral compression
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These types cause the front of the vertebra to collapse while the back keeps its position that forms a wedge-like shape. However, more often it is associated with osteoporosis, healthy individuals can experience a vertebral compression fracture from a serious traumatic event like an auto accident. Fractures can cause mild to severe pain that is exacerbated with movement. If the spinal cord is injured the individual could experience:
Tingling
Numbness
Weakness in the limbs
Loss of bladder/bowel function
Because of the increased safety features in today’s vehicles, fractures of the spine are rare except for severe motor vehicle accidents/collisions.
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Diagnosis and treatment
A doctor will review medical history along with the accident information. Imaging tests will follow like:
X-ray
CT or computed tomography scan
MRI or magnetic resonance imaging
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The way these techniques of imaging are done depends on the accident and the state of the spine. Being brought into the hospital from a motor vehicle accident/collision with a suspected spinal injury means the imaging will be done first to rule out or not potentially life-threatening injury/s to the spine. Treatment for spinal injuries can range from:
Soft collar
Chiropractic
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications
Corticosteroid injection/s
Nerve blocks
Physical therapy
Surgery to correct certain injuries when all other forms of treatment are not working
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Recovery
Every case, accident, and injury is different�and depends on several factors, like age, health, and how severe the accident/collision was. Severe and extreme injures like a burst fracture can take a long time to heal. �
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Legal Issues
Individuals with a spinal injury can face thousands in medical bills. If there is medical equipment involved along with therapeutic services for long-term care, like physical therapy then bills will accumulate.
Also, a personal injury claim could be necessary to pay for everything, especially, if the accident/collision is no fault of your own. Compensation could help with:
Loss of employment
Employment benefits
Wages lost
Ability to work/earn income
Medical expenses
Pain
Suffering
Consult with a specialist when considering filing a personal injury claim
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Work Compensation
If a spinal injury accident happens at work there could be worker’s compensation. Workers� compensation is insurance that replaces wages and medical benefits to workers that have been injured while doing their job. These are injuries that happened during the operation of a motor vehicle, like a truck, or forklift. The worker must file an injury report immediately so there is documentation supporting the injury claim. Waiting to file can make the employer question if there even was an injury. A workers� compensation claim works differently than a personal injury claim, based primarily on what is covered under the job’s insurance policies.
An example is the legal term pain and suffering. This is not covered by workers� compensation. However, a work training accident would be covered by work comp in the event that the individual cannot return to their job/occupation after the injury. However, any injury/s after a motor vehicle accident/collision should never be taken lightly or ignored. Individuals must be proactive in their treatment after an accident/collision. This is to prevent and avoid further injury.
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Auto Accident Doctors & Chiropractor Treatments
Dr. Alex Jimenez�s Blog Post Disclaimer
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas& New Mexico*
Part 2 delayed braking reaction time caused by sciatica, we continue with the spinal cord, nerves, and how they communicate with the brain. A herniated disc can cause sciatica, which is a compressing of the nerve/s in and around the spinal cord. This compression causes a pinching of the nerve/s like bending a water hose cuts off the flow and damages the hose, is what happens to the spinal nerve/s cutting proper blood flow, and proper synapse/signal flow.
This occurs from the damage to the nerve/s and could delay braking signals for a split second. But that is all that is needed for an auto accident to happen. A delay in braking time has been found in individuals with herniated/bulging/ruptured/slipped discs. Fortunately, through chiropractic and physical therapy, the nerves can be re-stimulated and brought back to optimal function.
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Communication
The spinal cord is about one inch across at its widest and around eighteen inches long. The spinal cord is a type of tube that is filled with nerves and cerebrospinal fluid. This protects and nourishes the cord. Spinal cord added protection includes:
There are three types of membranes surrounding the spinal cord referred to as meninges. The outer membrane is known as the dura mater, the middle membrane is the arachnoid mater and the innermost membrane is the pia mater. �
� These membranes can become inflamed and damaged by disease or trauma. Arachnoiditis is caused by inflammation of the arachnoid lining that results in intense stinging and burning pain. This can happen post-surgery and can cause the scarring of nerve/s.
The nerves exit the spinal column and branch out to the rest of the body. All parts of the body are controlled by specific spinal nerves. The nerves are placed in and around the area they control. Like the nerves in the neck area branch out into the arms. This is why a neck ache/pain issue can lead to pain spreading into the arms and hands.
Thoracic spine controls the middle of the body,
The lumbar spine extends into the outer legs controlling that area
Sacral nerves control the middle of the legs and organ functions of the pelvis
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The brain
Two major types of nerves: sensory and motor. Sensory nerves send information like:
Touch
Temperature
Pain
These get sent to the brain via the spinal cord. Motor nerves relay signals from the brain back to the muscles making them contract voluntarily or reflexively. Peripheral nervous system – the PNS has nerves that extend down the spinal canal and branch out at openings in the vertebrae called foramina. �
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Signals/messages get sent to and from the brain aka the central nervous system. It sends all types of signals including pain and initiates movement. For example, the nerves reflexively make the spine twist and turn when driving to keep balance when turning and braking. The peripheral nervous system is a collection of millions of nerves throughout the torso and limbs. This system conveys messages to the central nervous system.
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Referred pain
When a health problem/issue/condition takes place in one part of the body with pain being felt in another or several areas, pain specialists call it referred pain.
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Nerves
Nerves exiting the spinal cord is done in pairs with one being a sensory nerve, and the other a motor nerve. Motor nerves initiate movement and bodily function. Damage to a motor nerve could cause a weakness in a muscle or loss of function. For example, a prick in the foot that is not felt could mean there is some sensational loss, indicating a problem with the sensory nerves and or possible nerve damage. These are the nerves that control pain, temperature, etc. Sensory nerve issues can feel like shooting electrical pain Continuing with activities could exacerbate the nerve damage.
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Cauda Equina
� The spinal cord ends at the lumbar low back, where the nerves extend in a bundle of strands called cauda equina, called this because it looks like a horsetail. These nerves provide motor and sensory function to the:
Legs
Intestines
Genitals
Bladder
Therefore, based on this knowledge there is adequate information displaying how sciatica could cause a delayed braking reaction time based on the nerves’ dysfunctional signal firing. Chiropractic treatment could be an option to help an individual realign their spine, work out tight muscles, nerves, ligaments preventing any further damage, and getting the individual back in top form.
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Chiropractors & Sciatica Syndrome Expose
NCBI Resources
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Dr. Alex Jimenez�s Blog Post Disclaimer
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas& New Mexico*
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