How a Chiropractor Helps Restore Range of Motion After a Car Accident
Have a car-related injury? Contact the car accident chiropractors at Metro Healthcare Partners in Brooklyn and start your recovery journey.
Limited range of motion is a common outcome of auto accident injuries. Working with an experienced chiropractor in Brooklyn, NY, from Metro Healthcare Partners can help restore your range of motion following a car accident injury. Below, we explain how chiropractic care could aid in your path toward recovery.
Types of Auto Collision Injuries
According to a 2024 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of people with car accident injuries decreased from over 4.5% between 2021 and 2022. Though fewer people have injuries from auto collisions, it doesn’t mean the risk is gone. A 2024 analysis by Forbes suggests that the lifetime odds of a fatal car accident injury are only one in 93.
The NHTSA estimates that in 2022, more than 2.3 million disabling and non-disabling injuries resulted from auto collisions. The most common injuries from these accidents include:
- Fractured Bones. Major impacts with or inside a vehicle are enough to break bones in the arms, legs, back, or ribs, restricting range of motion.
- Whiplash. Whiplash is the most common cervical spine injury from car accidents. It occurs when your head and neck jolt back and forth, causing soft tissue damage.
- Muscle Sprains and Strains. Though many consider muscle sprains and strains to be minor car accident injuries, stretched or torn muscles and ligaments cause severe pain, reduced mobility, and limited range of motion.
- Spinal Injuries. The impact from a car collision can knock the vertebrae in your spine out of alignment, leading to severe pain, inflammation, muscle stiffness, and other complications.
The Problem With a Limited Range of Motion
Even though you could sustain one or more types of injuries from a car accident, one of the most common symptoms among them is a limited range of motion. Range of motion refers to how well or far you are able to move a joint like your shoulder or hip.
If you have a reduced range of motion, you’ll notice it in your everyday life. Doing simple things like turning your neck to view your surroundings or moving your arms and legs to bathe will become tougher. The effects of a loss of your range of motion are plentiful and may include:
- Reduced quality of life
- Worsening joint pain
- Swollen joints
- Muscle atrophy
- Loss of mobility
- Frustration, stress, and depression
- Problems with posture
Can a Chiropractor Help With Range of Motion?
The American Chiropractic Association estimates that over 35 million Americans visit chiropractors each year. Chiropractors specialize in treating musculoskeletal problems and injuries through spinal adjustments and other conservative treatments. As healthcare professionals, their goal is to treat the underlying cause of pain, not just the symptoms of an injury.
When it comes to improving your range of motion after a car accident, chiropractic care may help. Manually adjusting or manipulating your spine’s vertebrae can improve your spinal alignment, leading to less pressure around muscles and nerves. Positive consequences of this treatment include improved range of motion and reduced inflammation and pain.
How a Chiropractor Helps Restore Range of Motion After a Car Accident
When you have a car accident injury, getting a personalized treatment plan is crucial for your recovery and healing. Since chiropractors target the source of pain, they know how to develop individualized treatment plans for their patients to address their unique needs.
Besides spinal adjustments to improve the healing of soft tissues, enhance your range of motion, and reduce pain, these healthcare professionals may include the following tactics in your treatment plan to promote your rehabilitation:
- Preventative Stretches. Chiropractic care often incorporates at-home stretches to prevent muscle stiffness and improve your range of motion.
- Target Exercises. Certain exercises help you rebuild your strength, injured muscles, and balance.
- Electrical Stimulation. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can help alleviate pain and boost mobility.
Get Chiropractic Adjustments and Other Treatments in Brooklyn for Your Car Accident Injuries
Whether you seek whiplash treatment to address neck and upper back pain or help restoring your range of motion after a car crash, consider Metro Healthcare Partners in Brooklyn, NY. Our group of licensed physicians specializes in chiropractic care, pain management, orthopedics, and other specialties you might need to recover from a car accident injury. We strive to provide patient-centered treatments using the latest tools and practices.
Our doctors accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (personal injury protection). Same-day appointments may be available — call (718) 550-2056 today for an appointment or keep reading to explore different treatments for car accident injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions Range of Motion and Chiropractic Care
If you’re still asking, “Can a chiropractor help with range of motion?” consider the following questions and their answers to learn more about how chiropractic adjustments could improve your range of motion after a car accident.
Is Chiropractic Care Ideal for Restoring Range of Motion If I Have a Bone Fracture?
If you have a limited range of motion due to bone fractures, chiropractic care may help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. Still, it’s best to get medical attention first to diagnose and treat the fracture through casting or surgery before seeking chiropractic care.
How Long Does It Take for Car Accident Injuries To Display Symptoms?
Sometimes, car accident injuries produce immediate symptoms like pain or swelling. Yet it could take days or weeks for symptoms to show up for injuries like internal bruising or whiplash.
What Affects a Person’s Range of Motion After an Accident?
After a car collision, your range of motion may suffer from muscle stiffness or inflammation around the joint. Both problems cause painful changes to joint mobility.
How Soon Should I Go to a Chiropractor Following an Auto Collision?
It’s best to visit a chiropractor within 72 hours of the car accident, even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms of an injury. The chiropractor will examine you, identify early signs of an injury, and create a treatment plan.