If you’ve been in a car accident, you know that your life can change in an instant. In addition to the physical injuries you may have sustained, you may also find that the emotional trauma from this kind of accident can be severe. At BodaHealth, we understand that the effects from an accident can be far-reaching, affect the quality of your life, and last a long time. The practitioners at BodaHealth is here to help you.
Types of Injuries
Whiplash may be the first thing you think about when it comes to motor vehicle accidents, for a good reason. Whiplash injuries are the most common kind of injury to occur as a result of a car accident, especially a rear-end collision. In British Columbia alone, there are an estimated 960 automobile collisions each day, and it’s estimated that almost half of all two vehicle accidents are rear end collisions. Furthermore, about half of people involved in any kind of motor vehicle accident suffer from whiplash. This type of injury can occur even if the accident happens at a slow speed, making whiplash widespread, regardless of the nature of the accident.
Whiplash is a general term for injury to the muscles, tendons, and bones in your neck and spine from a sudden impact. During impact from a car accident, your head is jolted back and forth or from side to side, causing structural and soft tissue injuries. For many people who have been in an accident, symptoms of a whiplash injury may not show up for days or weeks, and they can last for months or longer. The symptoms of whiplash include pain, inflammation, headaches, vision problems, dizziness, fatigue, insomnia, and memory or concentration problems.
Motor vehicle accidents may cause other injuries, including:
- Head injuries. Trauma to your head can cause damage to your brain, such as a concussion or brain injury. Recovering from head trauma can take a long time and may result in chronic headaches, insomnia, and cognitive issues.
- Disc Herniation. This occurs when a disc in your spine shifts out of place or ruptures as a result of impact, resulting in pain and disability.
- Knee Injuries. The impact of an accident may cause your knees to hit the dashboard, causing damage to the bones, tendons, and ligaments.
- Bone fractures. A car accident, even at a slow speed, can create enough force to break bones. Rib, arm, leg, and shoulder fractures are not uncommon in car accidents.
- Cuts, scrapes, bruising. The impact of a crash damages your car and makes everything inside a projectile, which frequently cause soft tissue injuries.
- Post-Traumatic Stress. Emotional trauma is also common after a motor vehicle accident. Anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, flashbacks of the accident, and avoiding certain places or situations are symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
Healing from a Motor Vehicle Accident
Every therapy that we offer at BodaHealth can be helpful in recovery from a car accident. Depending on the nature of your injuries, specific treatments will be chosen for you that we believe will achieve the best results for your healing. The following are therapies that we offer at BodaHealth and how they may help you as your recover from your accident:
-Acupuncture. Used for a wide variety of conditions, acupuncture is a good choice for treating impact injuries. It stimulates pain-relieving chemicals in your brain, reduces inflammation, promotes circulation to the injured areas, and is an effective treatment for emotional stress and anxiety. A number of research studies have documented that acupuncture can be effective for both neck and back pain, including pain related to whiplash injuries. Your practitioner is able to choose a point prescription that targets your specific injuries and issues, including emotional symptoms. Scientists have also found acupuncture to be effective in treating patients struggling with post-traumatic stress.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In addition to acupuncture, the practice of Chinese medicine includes a number of soft-tissue therapies, such as cupping, Tui Na (Chinese massage), and Gua Sha. These treatments work to stimulate healing and reduce pain. As a more systemic approach, Chinese herbs may also be a part of your treatment plan. Herbs work to extend the benefits of your acupuncture treatment, promote healing, reduce pain, and may also be used to help with emotional symptoms.
Osteopathy. The nature of osteopathy is hands-on and targets your musculoskeletal system, which makes it an ideal treatment option for whiplash and other impact injuries. Our osteopathic practitioner is highly trained in manual therapy that involves resistance, gentle pressure, and stretching. Her goal is to correct imbalances and unstable biomechanics that may have occurred as a result of your accident.
Shockwave Therapy uses pulsed acoustic (sound) waves to treat a variety of conditions. It can target injuries to your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints. Shockwave therapy is used to speed the healing process, break down scar tissue, increase circulation, and regenerate damaged tissue. It is an especially effective tool in reducing pain and stimulating healing in whiplash injuries and other musculoskeletal conditions.
Massage Therapy and Fascial Stretching. Both massage and fascial stretching are designed to treat and rehabilitate soft tissue injuries and imbalances. After a car accident, damage to muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia may take months or longer to completely heal. This is where therapeutic massage and fascial stretching can help. Massage of injured tissue helps to loosen tight muscles, increase circulation, reduce pain, and promote relaxation. In addition, massage can be a nurturing and calming therapy for patients who are struggling with the emotional impact of their accident. Fascial stretching works to loosen and realign connective tissue, which are bands of tissue that separate and connect your muscles to other organs. The goal of fascial stretch is to promote healing, increase your range of motion, and improve muscle and joint function.
Injection Therapy. Using injections of natural substances, our practitioners are able to focus on damaged tendons, injured joints, nerve-related pain, and painful trigger points to relieve pain and promote healing. The substances used and location of injections are based on your specific symptoms, the type of tissue involved, and the nature of your injury.
Naturopathic Medicine. Our naturopathic physicians are primary care providers with a wide scope of practice. They offer acupuncture, herbal and nutritional supplementation, nutritional counseling, as well as prescriptions medications and hormonal supplementation when appropriate. In working with patients who have sustained injuries as the result of a car accident, their focus is on nutritional and supplemental strategies to decrease inflammation and to promote the healing process.
Clinical Pilates and Therapeutic Exercise. Rehabilitation is an important component of healing from a motor vehicle accident. Therapeutic exercise encompasses clinical Pilates, kinesiology, and prescribed movements to help you to improve strength, recover flexibility and range of motion, and increase your level of function as you recuperate from your injuries.
Being in a traumatic accident changes everything—from your physical health to how you view the world emotionally. At BodaHealth, we understand that a motor vehicle accident is life-changing, and we are here to help you navigate your recovery. We offer acupuncture, massage therapy and kinesiology sessions for ICBCs pre-approved treatments. For your convenience, we have practitioners who offer direct billing for these treatments. Our staff members are caring, experienced, and committed to helping you mend in every way possible in the aftermath of an accident. Give us a call today to find out how we can best help you.
