Chiropractic Blog

Since we see so many auto accident victims here at Fenton Family Chiropractic, we are especially aware of the pain and suffering that can accompany auto accidents. We are always here to help patients through the back pain, neck pain, headaches, and other issues that car accidents cause -- but we would also love to do what we can to help people avoid accidents at all. Here are some great tips from our staff.

Avoiding Auto Injury: Tips From Our Chiropractor

Our Fenton chiropractor, Dr. Margaret Freihaut, recommends these safety tips to help our patients avoid auto injury.

With our winters, we very often have snow and ice on the roads here in Missouri, and rain can make for slick roads at any time of year. Of course we are fortunate to have wonderful road crews working to keep the roads clear, but it's important that drivers use some smart driving tips when the roads are perilous. When you encounter bad driving conditions, take it more slowly than you usually do and allow extra space in between vehicles. Avoid braking suddenly as this can cause accidents if the roads are slick.

Just as you keep your body well with chiropractic care, your car needs regular wellness check-ups too. Keep up with the car maintenance basics. For example, don't drive with faulty car brakes! Also, sometimes the small things can make a big difference: keep the windshield clean and fresh blades on the wipers. These small measures can add up to a big difference in visibility and help prevent accidents.

We know that even the most careful drivers cannot always avoid accidents, but when you take some precautions like these you can count yourself as a safe driver who is much less likely to end up with an auto injury like neck pain or back pain.

Do you have any additional tips on avoiding auto accidents? Please share them here!

Whiplash is one of the auto injuries that we treat most often here at the clinic. We want to help our Fenton whiplash patients understand the effects of the injury and how chiropractic care can help assist with pain.

Chiropractic Care to Aid in Auto Injury Recovery

In most cases, our doctor and chiropractic staff first sees whiplash patients after they have been involved in some type of auto accident. When there is a severe impact to the body, such as the one that occurs when a vehicle crashes into another vehicle or an object, the spine and the neck are frequently thrown back and forth sharply. The result of this sharp sudden movement is often whiplash.

Whiplash is a term that is used to encompass many different symptoms. Common whiplash related problems include neck pain, headaches, back pain, and sciatic nerve pain that causes shooting pain sensations down the leg. Whiplash often starts with damage to the vertebrae in the neck or in the spine. This damage can happen from a pinched nerve or from vertebrae that is out of alignment due to the accident. When the vertebrae are put back into place, any pinched nerves that happened as a result of this will be released.

Whiplash pain can be relieved with chiropractic adjustments, gentle massage, physical therapy, corrective exercises, and physiotherapy methods such as heat and ice application. We will always work with every one of our patients individually to make sure we create the ideal treatment plan. Whiplash does not have to be a permanent condition, but if it is ignored it can become far worse. We are here to make sure that your whiplash pain is stopped!

Have you been in an accident and have whiplash? Please tell us about your case and your treatment plans!