How Can Chiropractic Care Help With Your Injuries From a Car Accident or Collision?

By Julie Bowen

If you have been injured in an Albuquerque car wreck or some other accident, you know that you need to seek immediate medical attention at the Emergency Room and follow-up care from your primary care doctor. Chiropractors have an important role to play as part of the health care team treating accident victims as well. They can help to evaluate the full extent of your injuries from the accident, and provide treatment to mitigate worsening of symptoms. 

Whiplash Injuries from Car Accidents

Chiropractors can treat injuries from car accidents, commonly known as whiplash, which is caused during a rear-impact collision. The impact from the collision can result in a number of health problems, including:

Loss of resiliency in the spine or limbs

herniated discs

difficulty with movement

chronic pain

difficulty concentrating

Chiropractic Consultation

During a consultation, the chiropractor will meet with you to discuss your injuries, get a description of your symptoms and take a case history. Be prepared to discuss any other treatments you have undergone with your family doctor and other specialists during this part of the visit. Don't hesitate to mention the emotional symptoms you are dealing with following the accident to the chiropractor, such as difficulty concentrating, irritability, and trouble sleeping. It's important to raise any existing conditions you may have, too, as these may affect your tratment.

According to the results of a new study, for example, there is a link between Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and chronic whiplash symptoms. Patients who are living with PTSD have higher levels of pain than whiplash patients who do not have this disorder. Learning how to deal with PTSD following a car accident will require seeking treatment from other professionals, and needs to be diagnosed appropriately so that you can get the right type of treatment, which may include medications, psychotherapy, or both.

Chiropractic Care for Soft Tissue Injuries

The type of soft-tissue injury which presents following a car accident may need more than just pain relievers and muscle relaxers to heal properly. These measure provide symptom relief but don't really do anything to get to the root of the problem.

The damage caused to soft tissues will not necessarily heal within four to eight weeks. It does not simply get better on its own with time and rest. This type of injury requires specific treatment if you are going to be restored to the state you were in before the accident.

Drug-free Treatment 

Chiropractors can offer a safe, drug-free treatment option to accident victims. Their approach is non-invasive. These trained professionals can focus on the following types of injuries:

• Back pain
• Headache
• Neck pain

Once the whiplash has been diagnosed, the chiropractor has a number of treatment options available to offer you. The first thing you may think of when considering visiting a chiropractor is manipulation, "cracking" the neck. This is not the only means of treatment available. The chiropractor can also offer muscle relaxation or stimulation therapy or suggest exercises which may help. He or she may also be able to suggest some ergonomic or lifestyle changes which can help to lessen the neck pain and promote healing. 

The first phase of the injury lasts for approximately 72 hours, during which time the damaged tissue bleeds continuously. During this phase, the injured body part should be treated with ice.

At the 72-96 hour mark, the damaged blood vessels repair themselves. This step marks the beginning of the regeneration phase of treatment, which lasts for between six and eight weeks. At the end of this stage, the gap between the torn tissues is bridged.

The third, or remodeling, phase is where the tissues become stronger and change to become more like the original, undamaged tissue. Proper treatment from a chiropractor can help to ensure that they heal properly to avoid developing into a chronic problem. Experts say that it takes about one year for damaged soft tissues to heal properly.

Compensation for New Mexico Accident Victims

If you have been injured in a New Mexico motor vehicle, truck, motorcycle, bus or pedestrian accident or collision and the other driver was at fault, you may be able to recover money for your injuries and your reasonable medical expenses resulting from the accident, including the cost of doctor's and chiropractor's bills. You can make a claim for pain and suffering.  You may also be able to make a claim for compensation for loss of income (past and future), which is why you and your legal team need to understand the full picture regarding your injuries and the impact they will have on your life. 

The Albuquerque law firm of Caruso Law Offices is well prepared to assist you with your claims against the insurance company.  Mark Caruso, the owner of Caruso Law Offices, is a former insurance company attorney, and he will explain your right to compensation and what you are entitled to be paid for from the insurance company. 

You can contact Mark Caruso directly at 505-883-5000 or their web site at www.carusolaw.com  They have some great YouTube videos describing your rights following a car accident at http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1CfFrQ5rMb3eegwRl_S3aQ

 

 

Neck Pain and Back Pain After NM Car or Truck Accident? Answers by Former Insurance Company Attorney.

I have neck pain and back pain after my New Mexico car accident... Who will pay for my injuries?
By:  Mark Caruso, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorney (Albuquerque, NM)

 

Will the insurance company for person who caused accident pay for my exam and treatment by a doctor or chiropractor?

 

Will the ambulance, hospital or doctor agree to directly bill the insurance company for person who caused accident?

 

These are some of the most common questions we are asked at Caruso Law Offices by people who were just involved in a auto, car,  truck, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian accident or collision. They may have been taken away by an ambulance to the emergency room and sent home with medications.  They may have begun treatment with an orthopedic doctor, their primary care doctor or a  chiropractor.

 

But it is usually the same question....

 

Who will pay for my injuries?

 

 

If you have health insurance, you have less problems.  Most New Mexico health insurance companies such as Lovelace, Presbyterian and Blue Cross Blue Shield will immediately pay the ambulance and emergency room bills.  You may still have a deductible or co-pay.

However, many insurance companies now have a provision in the health insurance policy stating that they do not pay for injuries resulting from auto and truck accidents caused by another.

Where can you get the care that you need to treat your neck and back injuries from the car accident?

 

I personally believe that hands on exercise and therapy are the best ways to treat any soft tissue injury to your back or neck such as whiplash or back strains.

 

This type of treatment can be by chiropractors, physical therapists and medical massage therapists. Most of these health care providers will agree to directly bill the insurance company for the person who caused the accident.  Most will also accept a letter of protection and lien by a personal injury attorney.

 

 

You need to be very careful about who you chose to treat your injuries. 

 

Chiropractors, physical therapists and medical massage therapists have good and bad reputations among the insurance company for the person who caused the collision.  Chiropractors must follow the Croft Guidelines which limit the duration of treatment and number of total treatments.  If they fail to do so, your claim could be severely jeopardized.  Physical therapists and medical massage therapists need to be working with a doctor of some type to justify their bills to the insurance company.

Personal injury attorney Mark Caruso can help you select a credible chiropractor, physical therapist and medical massage therapist.

 

 Because Caruso Law Offices only handles personal injury and wrongful death cases we know the reputations of local doctors and health care providers. 

 

We listen to our clients, but we also listen to the comments of the insurance adjusters we fight daily. We know which health care providers to avoid, and we know which have the best reputations. 

 

Getting the health care provider paid

 

Once you make your selection on which health provider you want to treat your injuries, we can offer the medical doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist or medical massage therapist a letter or protection or medical lien on your claim.  That means the health care provider knows that we will submit their bills and records for payment from the insurance company for the person who caused the accident.  It also means that they know that they will get paid at the end of your case. 

 

Caruso Law Offices has worked with several hundred of New Mexico's health care providers over the past 27 years that Mark Caruso has had his personal injury and wrongful death law firm in Albuquerque.  We have an excellent reputation among health care providers because we get them paid from the insurance company for the person who caused the accident or collision. We can help you with your referral and letter of protection. 

 

Call personal injury attorney Mark Caruso at 505-883-5000 to get more information about how to treat your neck pain and back pain and other spinal injuries after your New Mexico car or truck accident.  You can also visit our website at www.carusolaw.com  Please read our client testimonials and reviews.

 

We have received the 2013 Client Distinction Award from Martindale Hubbell and are rated a 9.6/10.0 by AVVO lawyer ratings.  We also have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

 

Mark Caruso will give you a FREE consultation at one of our Albuquerque offices--Northeast Heights or Westside--or at your home, work or other location during the day or in the evenings or weekends.  We handle cases statewide throughout New Mexico and in the pueblos and reservations throughout our state. 

 

Mark Caruso will also explain our 29% discounted attorney fee for all personal injury and wrongful death claims resulting from auto, car, truck, motorcycle, bus, bicycle or pedestrian accidents and collisions. Why would you ever want to pay the higher 33 1/3% attorney fee that most personal injury and wrongful death attorneys charge.

 

Call us today at (505) 883-5000