If you've recently been in a car accident, then you know how long and painful the recovery process can be. All too often, victims start experiencing symptoms days or even weeks after an accident. Fortunately, if you live in the Cartersville, GA, area, your local chiropractor at A Family Practice & Wellness Center can help.
What Causes Headaches?
During a car accident, your body is thrown around with an incredible amount of force. Even if you are wearing a seatbelt or your car has airbags, your body is still thrown forward and back at a high rate of speed. As your body compensates for this force, your joints and muscles are moved. Most commonly, this includes the vertebrae in the upper part of your spine.
As these upper vertebrae move, it can affect the muscles and joints all through the upper part of the body. This can cause joint and muscle pain through the shoulders and neck and eventually lead to headaches. These headaches can be caused by several factors, including increased pressure on the nerves in the spine leading to the brain and compensation from the muscles throughout the shoulders and neck that can constrict blood flow to the brain.
How Can a Chiropractor Help?
During an initial exam, a chiropractor will identify the precise points where the pain is originating from. In many cases, the source of the headaches starts in the upper back. Many headaches after car accidents are also accompanied by other symptoms such as shoulder and neck pain.
Once the source of the problem is identified, the chiropractor can plan a series of adjustments that will alleviate the pressure on the spine and nerves that are causing the headaches.
For many patients, pain relief will begin almost immediately after the first session. The pain may come back in a few days, however, as the tissues around the spinal column start to move back into their old locations. With repeated adjustments, however, these tissues will "learn" where their proper location is and start to stay in place for longer periods. For patients, this means the pain relief they feel after an adjustment will last longer.
The number of sessions required before the headaches is gone permanently is dependent on the extent of the injuries.
Call Us Today
If you are experiencing a persistent headache after a car accident, call A Family Practice & Wellness Center in Cartersville, GA, today at (770) 386-5262. We can diagnose and treat the cause of your pain without drugs or surgical intervention.