Chiropractic Healing After a Horrible Car Accident
In November of 2011, a 20-year-old female came in after being involved in a car accident. After the initial exam found several functional issues relating to various subluxation patterns, as well as decreased range of motion and areas of pain, we took x-rays to see these structural problems more clearly.
In our consultation, I learned how this patient had been in peak physical condition before the accident, and so it would then be our goal to return to this state as well. We also discussed how the goal of chiropractic care is not simply to take away symptoms, but to improve overall health and to get the body to function optimally. Along with this, if there is a structural problem with the spine, it will be our goal to restore this to normal so that none of these complaints ever come back again.
Here are the pictures of her neck.
After 5 months of care, totaling 52 adjustments, we were able to see dramatic improvements. Initially, the curve in her neck was slightly reversed, curving to the back instead of curving to the front. This is not good!!! The “After” picture shows that the neck is now perfectly straight; not where we need it to be, but definitely moving in the right direction.
With her low back, it was surprising to initially see a slight scoliosis, or sideways curvature of the spine. This was measured at 10 degrees of curve.
The “After” picture shows that this curvature has nearly disappeared. At my most liberal measurement, I get a possible 1/2 of a degree of curve at worst.
Keep in mind that this patient’s symptoms disappeared very early into her care, and the changes we were able to make have taken 5 months of work. If I just cared about symptoms, we would have been done long ago, but this would not have made the structural changes that are vital to keep this from becoming a bigger issue in the future. Now, she is on the path to optimal wellness!!
Can this happen for everyone? The short answer is yes. There are many factors that affect how quickly someone will respond, such as the patient’s age, overall health, the amount of disease process that is already in the spine (degeneration, deterioration, calcification, etc.), and the patient’s compliance to the care program.
The younger and healthier the patient, the easier it is to make dramatic changes like this. That’s why it’s so important to have your children checked for subluxations and put on a wellness program that keeps them as healthy as possible. The problems that we see in adults usually have their start in childhood, even from the birth process which can be very traumatic. Once these problems start, the continue down an inescapable cycle of degeneration, affecting the nervous system and it’s ability to control and regulate the body, leading to any number of conditions. The only way to break this cycle is with chiropractic care.
With chiropractic, there is one problem (subluxation) and one solution (adjustments). Your nervous system controls EVERYTHING in your body. If it is interfered with, you won’t function as well as you should. If you malfunction, that leads to disease. Disease leads to symptoms, and symptoms usually prompt a person to do something about it. Don’t just cover it up, address the root cause and fix the subluxation, thereby restoring proper health and function!
If you’re needing help healing from a car accident, call our team of Loveland chiropractors to get you on the road to healing.