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Car Accident/Whiplash Injury Chiropractor

Car Accident/Whiplash Injury Chiropractor

Associated Chiropractic Physicians Miller Hill | Duluth, MN

Over his years of patient care, Dr. LeSavage in Duluth, MN has focused a significant portion of his practice on the dynamics and treatment of cervical acceleration/deceleration syndrome, or "whiplash injury," from either low or high-speed car collision. There are three significant areas all injured patients must understand.

1. Assess and document your injuries.

Whether you realize it or not, immediately following a car accident, your body is trying to heal itself. The number one concern about that is not that "it's healing" but rather "how it's healing." Low-speed and high-speed crashes oftentimes create changes to the mechanics of how the spine works and consequently may heal in a way far less advantageous to your long-term health. Because we live our lives through the nervous system, even a small amount of change to our spines can significantly affect not only how we feel but how all of our essential bodily functions perform. You want to be evaluated as soon as possible after a crash. Every day you wait can significantly lengthen the time of recovery.

2. Know your medical benefits.

Often, patients do not realize that in both the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin they have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage with their auto policy that covers 100 percent of both the evaluation and treatment at a healthcare facility. When patients enter our clinic, we help you through the simple process of filling out a report of injury form to be provided to the auto insurer.

3. Know your legal rights.

Because most patients have not been involved in a previous motor vehicle crash, they are often unaware of the rights they possess after being injured. If patients have specific legal questions, we will be able to suggest a competent attorney in the area specializing in personal injury.

What to Expect Following a Crash

Sometimes immediately after a crash, patients are quite emotionally shaken by the trauma of being hit. There can be a delay of hours, days, weeks, or even months before different levels of symptoms arise. Often, symptoms start as general neck stiffness that may lead to shoulder and upper back pain, which may lead to arm and hand pain, numbness, or weakness. In addition, the patient may have a mild to moderate concussion and experience problems with cognitive thinking, difficulty recalling recent events, or persistent headaches.

Early detection and treatment at Associated Chiropractic Physicians Miller Hill in Duluth, MN is paramount to allow for proper healing. When a patient first arrives at our clinic, a complete documentation of the events of the crash takes place. Then, an orthopedic neurological evaluation of the injured parts is conducted. Often, spinal x-rays are also performed at our clinic. If necessary, you may be referred for a new state-of-the-art MR scanning in which the patient is able to move their neck while the procedure is performed to better evaluate the mechanics of the spine post-crash.

After a complete diagnosis has been determined by these testing procedures, a course of conservative, safe, and comfortable care is prescribed accompanied by at-home therapies. As care proceeds, if there is a need for additional healthcare procedures, we will make the appropriate referrals to providers in the community that have shown excellent results for our car accident injury patients in the past.

Act now! Waiting often decreases your chances for a full recovery.