Did you know that the typical symptoms from even the most minor auto accident can take six months to a year to present themselves?

From the mild fender bender to the complete collision most people are fortunate enough to walk away from their car accident with seemingly minor injuries. At least that is what they think. The truth is that although a person may not break a bone or have major cuts and scrapes there is no question that their body has sustained an injury. Soft tissue injuries related to auto accidents can lead to such symptoms as headaches, neck and/or back pain, fibromyalgia, etc.

Again, these symptoms in many cases do not appear for at least six months after the accident; therefore in most cases a person that has enjoyed relatively good health has no clue as to why they are now having problems. In most cases the person will just assume it has to do with their age.

Have you ever watched television when they show a crash test simulation with a dummy at the wheel? That is what happens to the human body during an accident. The energy of the impact travels through your body at rocket speed and is over in a millisecond.

If you are braced for impact at the time of the accident because you know you are about to hit someone or about to get hit then the probability for injury rises greatly short and long term. The rigidity of your musculoskeletal system at the time of impact has no give so therefore bone breaks, muscle tears and/or sprain/strains can occur.

If you have been in any auto accident, boating accident or bad event tubing and/or skiing (same principles apply) please do yourself and your family a favor and get evaluated by a chiropractor as soon after the episode as possible. A chiropractor can detect if their is a musculoskeletal injury from the accident that needs to be corrected so that it does not lead to symptoms down the road.

After a decade of treating these injuries I can tell you that the early a problem is diagnosed and treated the better the long term outcome is for the patient.