So You Had A Car Accident
Some people have massive injuries afterwards, and they know for sure they need some help in getting better and back to their life.
If you're like most people though, the pain from the accident won't be that bad and it likely won't last that long. Here's why that's a dangerous place to be:
Even a "minor" accident (12 mph) can cause whiplash to your neck. That may not sound like such a big deal because people throw the term "whiplash" around like it's nothing.
In reality, that whipping motion that your neck makes when you get into an accident can damage the ligaments that support your spine, the discs that allow for stability and mobility, and the muscles that allow you to move your neck properly.
Why is that such a big deal?
The reason it's so important is because your neck and the bones in your neck surround one of the most neurologically important areas of your whole body - your spinal cord.
Think about it - Your brain is the boss; it runs the show. It tells every single part of your body how to stay healthy, how to heal, and what to do. If it can't communicate with your body, you're dead.
But now what happens if those messages aren't completely blocked, but are only partially blocked? Does that still sound like a problem to you?
You bet it does.
Think about your day. Think about all the stress and strain you put your body through.
Tough days at work, long nights with the kids, sports, demands at home, chores, the "to-do" lists.
You work hard.
Now what happens if there's interference in your brain's ability to send the proper instructions on how to repair and restore your body every night so you're ready for the next day's duties and responsibilities?
Right, you're working with a little bit less than you had the previous day. Now compound that over a few days, weeks, months, or even years. Is it any wonder that most people are complaining about how much pain they're in, or how they feel like they don't have any energy anymore?
Don't fall into that trap.
The reality is that unless you've had your spine checked properly by a chiropractor, you really don't know what kind of problems you're dealing with OR what kinds of problems are brewing under the radar.
Had A Car Accident?
Continue to do the things that you want to do and live the kind of life that you want to live
Call Dr. Ryan at (204)-250-9698
Please fill out the form below before coming to your appointment
Why does it have to be a chiropractor?
Other professions can check for muscle tension, injuries, dislocations, etc, but only chiropractors have the complete training to fully evaluate the impact of spinal injuries or alignment and its effect on the neuromusculoskeletal aspects of your body.
We've been trained to not just treat the injury, but restore the alignment and movement of your spine so that the problems that can easily be left to fester under the surface are properly addressed.
This allows you the confidence to know that not only is your pain and injuries going away, but the function of your spine, NERVES, and musculoskeletal systems are rehabbed to prevent injuries from developing over time.
In the rest of this blog, you'll see the areas I recommend people focus on so they can attack these problems from multiple angles so they can get better as fast as possible, and often come out feeling and performing even better than they did before the accident.
Your Pillow
Since whiplash can damage the ligaments and support structures of your spine by pushing your head forward, you don't want to keep your head propped forward with a big, fluffy pillow. That's just adding to the injury, and keeping pressure on your spinal cord.
Instead, it's better to use a thinner pillow and gradually allow that pressure to come off your spine and nervous system.
(A word of caution: This transition may need to be done gradually under the guidance of a chiropractor or physiotherapist)
Massage and athletic therapy
This involves rehabbing the soft-tissue (muscles, ligaments, fascia, etc) after an accident, so they will allow you to straighten up and maintain the proper posture, and take the pressure out of your nervous system.
The truth of the matter is your body is always looking to make things easier on you, which is a great or a terrible thing depending on your regular habits. If you have a habit of slouching, certain muscles will become neurologically "shut-off" and essentially won't even be "available" for you to use to restore that proper posture. Also, certain muscles can shorten over time, effectively acting like "tie-downs" that limit how far you can pull your head back over your shoulders. (Think of King Kong tied down with ropes - He could fight all he wanted to but he wasn't going anywhere)
One of the first steps is to break up and restore the proper movement to those soft-tissues, otherwise you're just going to end up tired and frustrated.
Ergonomic considerations (desk, laptop, phone)
Most often, any motion or position where you are looking down for longer periods of time will put more strain and pressure on your spine and spinal cord. While you're recovering, its best to set up your environment to minimize this as much as possible.
Bring your computer monitor up. Pile it on books or risers if need be.
Lift your phone when you text.
Bring your book to eye level or prop it up.
Anything you can do to take that pressure off your spine and spinal muscles will speed how quickly you can heal.
Collagen
This is one of my favourites. All the supporting musculature and connective tissue is made of collagen. As you age, your body can't reproduce collagen as quickly, meaning you heal more slowly as you age. That's why so many people complain about aches and pains that never used to be there, or how they used to recover so much faster.
Taking collagen peptides means your body is equipped with the building blocks to make any of the multiple types of collagen your body needs to fully heal.
Low inflammation foods
This may surprise you, but the foods you eat can either make you hurt more, or hurt less. They can make you heal faster, or slower.
Any food that creates more inflammation in your body will increase the pain you feel, by sensitizing the nerves that are responsible for sensing that area. That means you can automatically start to improve how you're feeling simply by improving your diet.
Foods like bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, or any starchy or sugary foods will create inflammation and make your pain feel worse than necessary.
Spinal Rehab - This is what I specialize in.
One of the major consequences of a car accident is how it can damage the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that support your spine and maintain the proper alignment. This affects your brain's ability to "talk" to the rest of your body by disrupting the communication that has to pass over your spinal cord, through the spinal canal that runs down your neck. Unfortunately, that forward head posture creates constant pressure that creates inflammation all the time for you. That's why so many people complain about chronic neck, shoulder, or low back pain, as well as headaches. Unfortunately, that inflammation from the joints in your spine being injured day-in and day-out attracts scar tissue that essentially glues your body together. Just like with muscles, and other soft tissue that gets glued together, you need someone to free up those joints if you even have a hope of restoring the proper motion to your spine.
My job is to make sure your spine and nervous system can be healthy and you can master one of the most important areas of your body. This way nothing gets in the way of you feeling great, staying young, doing great work at home or in your career, or fully enjoying everything you work so hard for.
Exercises
Because everything in our world is in front of your face, and usually involves looking down, it can be tougher to heal from a car accident. That means exercises designed to strengthen the muscles as well as restore your full range of motion will make all the difference.
How much time do you spend looking down at a desk, or looking down at your phone/computer/tablet/TV? Now, how much time do you spend strengthening the muscles or doing exercises to counteract the damage to your spine and nervous system from those activities? For most people, the answer is they spend a lot of time looking down, and hardly any time
Remember, your life is the sum total of all the choices you've ever made. Now that you realize how important your spine and nervous system is, my goal is to equip you with the information and options you need to protect it starting RIGHT NOW. All you have is this moment, so here is my gift to you. Below are some of my favourite exercises to get you on the right step to correcting and maintaining your spine and nervous system. They're the ones I give my private clients who coach with me personally, and they're some of the most effective I've seen to unwind the damage from these chronic postures.
The reason these exercises are so effective is because they walk you through the hurdles that most people face when they try to recover after an accident.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo1TyoxtEgk
These three exercises are my gift to you.
The difference between a complete solution and a few tips you picked up on the internet make all the difference. Yes, car accidents are very common, but for me, my family, and my clients, we're not settling for a life of pain, low energy, brain-fog. Instead, we're tapping into the timeless wisdom of the world's longest-lived people so we can master the major areas of our lives and fully enjoy this world as we were meant to. Now, you're much further along that journey as well.
Take these resources, design a plan of attack, and then be faithful with it every day. Your body is just waiting to show you how good it can really feel and how well it can truly perform. Make your habits good and effective, and watch as it starts to take care of the rest.
If you want to schedule your own assessment, call 204-250-9698.
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Higher, Faster, Stronger,
Dr. Ryan GreschukElevation Chiropractic
To design your ideal lifestyle, click here www.facebook.com/askdrryan
drgreschuk@gmail.com
"Lasting Purpose. Love for the sake of loving; Give for the sake of giving; Serve for the sake of serving"
-Dr. Sid Williams
"You never know how what you say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow"-Dr. BJ Palmer
Had A Car Accident?
Continue to do the things that you want to do and live the kind of life that you want to live
Call Dr. Ryan at (204)-250-9698
Please fill out the form below before coming to your appointment