Car accidents are on the rise in America, and every day hundreds of people become injured in a collision. Victims of minor accidents typically don’t require emergency care, and their injuries can be difficult to spot at the scene. Soft tissue injuries to the back and neck are among the most common car crash-related injuries. Accident victims often don’t feel these injuries until a few days after the crash. When the pain hits, it can be debilitating and may interfere with work, school, and other daily tasks.

Chiropractors are uniquely qualified to treat injuries that affect tissues and bones in the back and neck. Here’s what to expect when you see your chiropractor for personal injury treatment.


Diagnosis First, Then Treatment

Chiropractors have access to much of the same diagnostic equipment you would find in your doctor’s office. Your chiropractor will ask you questions about your accident, symptoms, and medical history. They will then use diagnostic tests like x-rays and conduct a thorough physical exam.

After collecting this information, your chiropractor will create an individualized treatment plan based on your diagnosis and treatment goals.

Adjustment Isn’t the Only Treatment Available

It’s a common misconception that chiropractors only provide one treatment, namely spinal adjustment. While adjustments are a big part of chiropractic practice, they also use other treatments to meet their patients’ needs. Healing often benefits from an approach that utilizes several treatments together. The exact treatments provided will vary depending on the clinic.

At Stanlick Chiropractic, we provide adjustment, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, massage therapy, and K laser therapy. We work with our patients on exercises to restore range of motion, posture, and mobility and prescribe exercises they can do at home. We’ve found that nutritional counseling is beneficial to our clients as they heal. The right diet and supplements can reduce inflammation and promote faster healing.

During a car accident, both soft tissues and vertebrae can be impacted. Sometimes tight muscles will pull vertebrae out of place. Massage, myofascial release, and K laser therapy are different treatments that can help tight, traumatized muscles release, heal and be less inflamed. Adjustment can then move subluxated vertebrae back into place. If you’ve experienced a disc-related injury, we use spinal decompression therapy to move discs back into place and encourage healing blood flow to the area. Rehabilitation exercises will encourage complete healing and discourage the build-up of extra scar tissue that can cause chronic pain.

We Don’t Just Treat Backs

Chiropractors can treat sprains and strains in other joints, including wrist, elbow, knee, and shoulder injuries. Many of the same treatments described above can be used to reduce inflammation, release trigger points, and improve range of motion.

Since the body works as a mechanical system, chiropractors pay attention to their patient’s feet, knees and hips. Sometimes accident patients are struggling with pain caused by other conditions, like leg length differences or foot arch problems. When we treat the body as a system and address all the moving parts, healing is easier, and future chronic problems can be avoided.

Chiropractors Are Covered By Insurance

One of the most common questions we get from accident patients is whether they will have to pay for their treatment. We work with several insurance companies and will bill them directly. There are rare exceptions, but most liability insurers cover chiropractic care. Many personal injury patients end up with no or very little out-of-pocket cost.

Insurance agencies can be a hassle, and your chiropractic clinic must employ well-trained people to properly input codes and communicate with insurers. At Stanlick, we have two insurance specialists who help our personal injury clients through the process and take care of billing. We understand that the process can be slow, and we will work with you to get your treatments started right away after your accident.

If you need a lawyer, we can refer you to attorneys who have done right by our clients in the past.

Healing is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

The healing process includes four stages and can take anywhere from four weeks to one year to complete. Your healing journey will be influenced by the extent of your injuries, how quickly you receive treatment, how well you adhere to your treatment plan, and your overall health and fitness.

That’s not to say that you will deal with debilitating symptoms for months. Most patients who receive prompt treatment will feel much better after their first few weeks. Your treatment plan may require frequent visits for several weeks and then taper to monthly or bi-monthly visits. It’s important to complete your treatment plan and adhere to at-home exercises and recommendations. You cannot rush healing, and quitting treatment or returning to strenuous tasks too soon could set you back and cost you more time and money in the long run.

Your chiropractor can fill out the necessary forms to help you get time off work or light duty and will also recommend lifestyle adjustments to help you avoid reinjury. Sometimes changing your desk set up can do wonders for your symptoms.

What About Pain Pills?

Extensive research has proven that over-the-counter drugs like Ibuprofen and Tylenol are just as effective at relieving muscle pain as opioids. Chiropractors don’t write prescriptions, but if we did, we wouldn’t prescribe opioids or muscle relaxants. These medications are dangerous, addictive, and not effective. The FDA recommends chiropractic care as first-line therapy for musculoskeletal pain instead of pain pills or muscle relaxants.

Sometimes chiropractors will work with a local clinic to prescribe short-term oral steroids to their patients. These drugs relieve inflammation and help with healing during the early stages of an injury. Since inflammation is typically responsible for most of a patient’s pain, steroids can have a pain-relieving effect.

A chiropractor’s goal is to start right away on treatments that will heal the body, therefore reducing pain naturally. Over-the-counter medicines can keep a patient’s pain manageable while this process is achieved.

Personal Injury Treatment in Tennessee

At Stanlick Chiropractic, we provide personal injury treatments that improve our patient’s pain and help them get back to their lives. Schedule a consultation today to find out more about our treatments and how to get the care you need at no cost to you.