After a car accident, individuals often suffer many aches and pains. These may range in intensity or severity and can affect the joints, muscles, or head. Many people immediately reach for NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) for relief. This class of medications includes aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen – or more commonly, Excedrin, Motrin, Advil, and Aleve. Prescription-strength versions of these drugs are also available through a physician.

NSAID’s are so accepted because by blocking chemical production in the body, they relieve both pain and inflammation. Many people assume that because a drug is sold over the counter, it is safe and without side effects. But even taking these drugs as directed for too long a period can cause side effects which are at best uncomfortable, but at worse, they can be dangerous. In fact, during the COVID-19 crisis, we hear reports that NSAIDs such as ibuprofen can aggravate the virus and make it worse. This news is alarming, given that people often take ibuprofen for the fever which can accompany this virus.

NSAIDs are utilized for many of the types of injuries that are effectively treated through chiropractic care. Not only is chiropractic treatment natural and holistic, but it also avoids the following side effects of NSAIDs.

• NSAIDs increase the possibility of heart attacks, strokes, and other heart conditions which result in death. Prescription NSAIDs seem to be the most dangerous in this regard, while naproxen (Aleve) represents the least amount of risk. Especially troubling is that the risk of heart problems increases over time. This class of drugs is often taken daily over long periods of time to deal with chronic pain.
• Ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding have been observed in many who use NSAIDs regularly, especially if they take two or more of these drugs. Even if the more severe symptoms do not manifest, upset stomach and abdominal pain are often very common.
• Those who take NSAIDs can experience decreased blood flow to the kidneys, which interrupts the organ’s ability to filter blood.
• Men who take NSAIDs regularly are likely to experience reduced testosterone production, even to the point of affecting sterility and reproductive capability.

Given the problems that NSAIDs can cause with your stomach, kidneys, heart, and gastrointestinal tract, finding a more natural alternative is worth your time. Chiropractic treatments will alleviate much of your aches and pains without putting the rest of your health at risk.

If you suffer from neck or back pain due to a car accident, you may think that your only relief will come out of a pill bottle. But you do have an excellent alternative to NSAIDs. Chiropractic care has been proven to be more effective at pain relief than these drugs. While the medication will temporarily relieve the symptoms a patient is experiencing, they do not address the underlying cause of the pain. This explains how people can take painkilling drugs for years and years without permanent relief – the source of the pain is never eliminated.

In contrast, chiropractic treatment will directly treat the source of the pain by aligning the spinal cord and taking pressure off discs and vertebrae. Instead of treating the symptom, it addresses the cause of the problem. In this way, you can be cured of your chronic pain – you don’t have to live with it.

South Floridians are quickly waking up to the knowledge that there is a better way to treat everyday aches and pains. In fact, regular chiropractic adjustments are likely to not only relieve pain but to improve your overall well-being and quality of life.

If you have been in a car accident, or if you suffer from neck or back pain that doesn’t seem to get better, don’t go to the medicine cabinet. Call West Coast Wellness today.

Filed Under:  Accident Doctor>

Welcome to West Coast Wellness we offer services such as Auto Injury, Neuropathy, Back Pain, Knee Pain, Whiplash, Pinched Nerve, Ringing in Ears, Why Chiropractic Care?, Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Spinal Disc Restoration, Electromedicine, Herniated Disc Treatment, Degenerative Disc Disease

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Immediately following a car accident, you may not feel any pain. The adrenaline which kicks in “tricks” the body, which is why many people refuse medical assistance on the scene. However, it is not uncommon for those involved in an accident to feel stiffness and sore muscles in the days following the incident. These uncomfortable symptoms should not be ignored, as they are a signal from your body that it has suffered some trauma. In addition to calling a chiropractor to assess the health of your spine, you may wish to consider heat therapy.

Thermotherapy utilizes heat to increase blood flow, which will help to alleviate the pain and discomfort you are experiencing. 

One of the pervasive effects of a car accident is feeling “sore all over.” Because the adrenaline initially blocks the feelings of tenseness and exertion on your muscles, once the adrenaline subsides, your body lets you know how it feels. Heat therapy encourages your tense muscles to relax and to ease muscle spasms if they exist. Many people who are looking for pain relief without utilizing pharmaceuticals are likely to find this an effective treatment method.

When areas of the body have been injured from an auto accident, the increased blood flow from thermotherapy is directed to body parts that need to be healed. Not only will it relieve symptoms temporarily, but it will accelerate overall healing.

One of the best analogies to how you feel after an auto accident may be the way you feel after an intense workout. The achiness and soreness can be significant, and the stiffness you feel may adversely affect your daily life. Even though heat therapy can provide comfort,  any lack of mobility should not be dismissed lightly. Immediately call a chiropractor to rule out any traumatic injuries to your spine, neck, back, or nervous system.

There are many moist heat packs available on the market to treat pain and discomfort. Heat gel packs and plug-in heating pads are also easily accessed. These products relax tense muscles, reduce soreness, speed up the healing process, and alleviate feelings of stiffness.

Heat vs. Ice

At this point, you may be wondering about the usage of cold press treatments versus heat therapy.

When the body is injured, swelling and inflammation is the initial response. Applying ice within the first hours of an acute injury will result in the contraction of blood vessels, which will, in turn, reduce swelling. Once the inflammation has calmed down, apply heat to the injured area. The increase in blood flow provides nutrition and oxygen to the area, as well as providing muscle relaxation.

Why Does Chiropractic Care Work?

Chiropractors focus on the musculoskeletal system. By manipulating the spine, they can relieve tension and help muscles to relax – which will, in turn, alleviate pain and bring down inflammation.

Each individual is unique. The best way to understand your injury and to relieve pain is to schedule an appointment with your chiropractor. He or she can help to identify any injuries which your body may have suffered. Chiropractors treat the injury not with drugs that mask the symptoms, but with treatment that heals the body.

West Coast Wellness believes in the power of non-pharmaceutical, holistic treatments to achieve the best results for our patients. If you have been in a recent car accident and are experiencing soreness, stiffness or pain, you may wish to apply heat therapy. But don’t delay in giving us a call for professional assessment and treatment. 

Filed Under:  Accident Doctor

Welcome to West Coast Wellness we offer services such as Auto Injury, Neuropathy, Back Pain, Knee Pain, Whiplash, Pinched Nerve, Ringing in Ears, Why Chiropractic Care?, Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Spinal Disc Restoration, Electromedicine, Herniated Disc Treatment, Degenerative Disc Disease

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According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2019, an average of 130 Americans per day were dying of an opioid overdose. In fact, the opioid epidemic has caused an unprecedented crisis for everyday Americans who trusted their doctors to prescribe safe medication.

In the 1990’s, physicians were assured that the new class of opioid drugs were not addictive and could be safely prescribed to those suffering pain, such as after a car accident. This led to hundreds of thousands of citizens being given opioids to combat their pain, to devastating results. By 2017 an average of 47,000 Americans were dying from the usage of these medications; and  1.7 million were dealing with crippling addictions.

How could this happen? There are several reasons that opioids became so prolific. As stated above, the pharmaceutical industry told doctors that the drugs were safe to prescribe, and they did so freely.

A second societal reason for the rapid acceptance of opioids may be the legality of drug advertising  to the direct consumer. The United States is one of only a handful of countries which allows this type of advertising, and the drug companies take advantage of it. Consumers are inundated with information regarding pharmaceutical drugs – whether over TV, radio, or in print. Over time, many consumers believe that the only answer to their pain is a painkiller, and insist on this type of remedy.

No one blames the unsuspecting patient, who is simply in pain and looking for relief. For years, the data showing the addiction rate was not available, and many well meaning doctors prescribed these medications. But these statistics are now available, and may be shocking.

• Up to 29% of patients prescribed opioids for pain will misuse them
• Up to 12% develop addiction
• Between 4-6% transition to heroin
• 80% of heroin users began on prescription opioids
• In just 14 months (July 2016 to September 2017) overdoses increased 30%.
• Overdoses increased 54% in large cities and over 70% in the Midwest during the same period.  Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The Healthcare Dilemma

The healthcare system in the United States currently does not encourage people to seek out healthcare which will work best for them. Rather, they are incented to choose the options which are covered by insurance. Therefore many are forced to choose pharmaceutical solutions because they are advertised to them and prescribed, versus holistic solutions which are exposed in a meaningful way.

Yet the opioid crisis only accentuates the fact that many drugs prescribed by the medical community do not solve health problems – they simply mask symptoms. In many cases, such as described above, the drugs can make things exponentially worse.

Chiropractic care, by comparison, treats the source of the illness or injury, safely and naturally. It is impossible to overdose on chiropractic care. And while you may “get addicted” to your chiropractic treatments, you will only get healthier and stronger.

Take Control of Your Care 

If you are experiencing chronic pain due to a car accident or any other reason, contact an experienced chiropractor today for a consultation.

Staying healthy, and healing without the introduction of dangerous and addictive drugs, is crucial to your long-term health. Call West Coast Wellness today to discuss treatment options and affordable payment plans.

Filed Under:  Accident Clinic

Welcome to West Coast Wellness we offer services such as Auto Injury, Neuropathy, Back Pain, Knee Pain, Whiplash, Pinched Nerve, Ringing in Ears, Why Chiropractic Care?, Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Spinal Disc Restoration, Electromedicine, Herniated Disc Treatment, Degenerative Disc Disease

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The first moments after a car accident can be chaotic and confusing. In the rush of making sure everyone is okay, checking out the damage and exchanging documents, it can be easy to dismiss any small aches or pains you may be feeling.

Of course, if you sustained serious injuries you may have been transported to the hospital. But for tens of thousands of motorists each year, treatment is denied because they “feel fine” and go home as soon as the paperwork is finished and the car is towed.

If You Don’t Feel Pain

If you’ve been involved in a car accident, however, you shouldn’t take the damage which may have been done to your body lightly.

When human beings are put into a stressful or scary situation, adrenaline is released by the body. Adrenaline is associated with “fight or flight” syndrome, and allows an individual to get through the situation, often without feeling pain. This means that you may legitimately not experience pain, even if you have in fact sustained an injury.

The problem is that if you have sustained an injury to your back, neck, or spine, it can grow worse over time. Someone who has recently been in a car accident may think they are uninjured, but begin to experience symptoms days or even weeks later. These symptoms may include numbness in the extremities, pain in the back or neck, or dizziness. If these symptoms occur later, you may not associate them with the accident.

But if your vertebrae, discs or spine were injured, there may be swelling or inflammation surrounding the injury. If this is true, symptoms may not manifest for weeks, months, or even years. Sadly, much of the pain felt over the years can often be avoided rather easily with a visit to your chiropractor.

But The Doctor Said You Were Fine

Medical practitioners look for breaks, fractures, and internal bleeding. They will often send a patient home with a clean bill of health, never realizing that they have sustained an injury. The will typically prescribe a painkiller to handle any pain or inflammation you may be feeling. Unfortunately, those painkillers will only mask the pain from your injury – not heal or fix it.

This is why even if you have seen an ER doctor or visited a physician, you should call a chiropractor as soon as possible. Chiropractors operate under a different set of protocols, seeking to restore the body to total, holistic health rather than simply treating a singular symptom. Through a series of adjustments, the damage done to your spinal column is remediated, often making ongoing pain medication unnecessary.

In Conclusion

If you have been in a car accident, it is important to make sure that you have not sustained any injury which could result in long term damage and unnecessary pain. Even if you have been to the emergency room and released. Call a chiropractor as soon as possible to ensure that your health is completely covered.

Did You Know? In the State of Florida, your PIP insurance will cover the treatment of your injuries up to $10,000.

At West Coast Wellness, we are committed to your total health both immediately following a car accident, and in the future. If you have any questions regarding treatment, call us today and schedule a free consultation.

Filed Under:  Accident Clinic

Welcome to West Coast Wellness we offer services such as Auto Injury, Neuropathy, Back Pain, Knee Pain, Whiplash, Pinched Nerve, Ringing in Ears, Why Chiropractic Care?, Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Spinal Disc Restoration, Electromedicine, Herniated Disc Treatment, Degenerative Disc Disease

Read more of our blogs.