Whiplash Treatment in Algonquin
We Heal the Source of Your Pain for Lasting Relief
A car accident or workplace injury can either be a temporary setback or the source of lifelong chronic pain. The key to keeping it the former rather than the latter is effective whiplash treatment with chiropractic care. As a car accident chiropractor in Algonquin, Dr. Anthony R. Galante uses thorough testing and gentle, proven techniques for long-term healing.
What sets the treatment he provides at Algonquin Chiropractic Center apart? Dr. Galante uses the most thorough, state-of-the-art testing to pinpoint exactly what damage the accident did. Then he develops a custom whiplash treatment plan to best address and heal the issue, which may prevent chronic pain and disability.
Need a trustworthy chiropractor for your whiplash injury? Please call us today to schedule an appointment.
We Identify What the Accident Damaged
Car accidents or workplace injuries are the leading causes of chronic pain in the lower back, neck and head in the United States. The initial pain from the accident is more likely to be long-term or chronic when the underlying injuries are missed, and proper whiplash treatment is not started for those injuries.
When you go to a medical doctor or an immediate care facility, you’ll likely receive standard X-rays, a CT scan and recommendations for pain medications and physical therapy. While this treatment identifies and addresses obvious damage, like fractures, it often overlooks the subtler types of injuries, which persist and cause chronic pain.
There are three main whiplash injuries to the spine after trauma, fracture, disc herniation and spinal ligament injuries. X-rays and a CT scan can identify fractures, and MRIs are good for spotting disc injuries. However, the only way to identify spinal ligament injuries is with spinal “stress X-rays.”
At Algonquin Chiropractic Center, we take stress X-rays to pinpoint ligament damage so we can address and correct it. Using these X-rays, we look for non-disc spinal ligament injuries. We send the X-rays to a radiologist who uses an FDA-cleared software program to measure the movement of the vertebrae. This analysis tells us exactly how badly the spine is injured and at what levels, so we can isolate the exact location and severity of the injury. You cannot get this thorough level of testing with regular X-rays, CT scans or MRIs.
A Whiplash Treatment Program for Complete Healing
The benefit of going to a car accident chiropractor like Dr. Galante is you will get your injuries properly diagnosed, which will give you the best chance of a full physical recovery. Here’s what you can expect when you come to our office:
1. Initial Consultation
Dr. Galante will begin by discussing your accident with you to understand the exact mechanism of how you were injured. You will also discuss previous issues and your current problem.
2. Full Examination
We’ll perform a thorough exam to look for signs of disc injuries and ligament injuries. Then, if necessary, we’ll perform several noninvasive tests, including stress X-rays to precisely diagnose the problem.
3. Personalized Plan
Once we pinpoint the diagnosis, Dr. Galante will put together a custom treatment plan to directly address and heal the problem. The plan will include a mix of proven, gentle chiropractic techniques.
4. Ongoing Support
We will document how the whiplash treatment affects all aspects of your daily life and track it on an ongoing basis. This is called “Duties Under Duress” and gives us important information on your ability to function normally.
Versatile Chiropractic Whiplash Treatments
Dr. Galante specializes in many methods to help the body naturally heal after a car accident, workplace injury or other spinal trauma. All the techniques he employs are conservative and risk-free because they don’t require the use of potentially addictive medications or surgery. Instead, accident care chiropractic treatment involves adjusting the body to enable the full natural healing process to proceed.
Your custom whiplash treatment plan will include some or all these chiropractic techniques:
- Spinal manipulation
- Cox Technic
- Physical therapy modalities
- Soft tissue work
- Laser therapy
- Spinal bracing
- And more
All these methods will give your body the best chance to gradually heal your injury over time and ensure you won’t have any long-term pain. Instead, you’ll find the natural recovery your body needs without the risk of any harmful side effects.
Hear From One of Our Auto Accident Patients
Visit Our Car Accident Chiropractor in Algonquin
It would be our pleasure to help you fully recover from your accident. Please call today for a consultation at our office in Algonquin.
Read Our Complete Guide to Whiplash Treatment Below
We’re passionate about educating our patients to make their journey to a pain-free life as easy as possible. Therefore, we’ve put together a helpful guide on everything you need to know about whiplash chiropractors.
Table of Contents
- What Do You Need to Know About Whiplash?
- What are Common Car Accident Injuries?
- How Severe are Car Accident Injuries?
- What About Injuries from Low-Speed Accidents?
- How Will Getting Treatment Affect Your Car Insurance?
- How Long Does It Take for Auto Injuries to Heal?
- Will a Car Accident Chiropractor Work with My Doctor or Lawyer?
What Do You Need to Know About Whiplash?
The most well-known condition that often results from a car accident or workplace injury is whiplash. Whiplash is not a diagnosis; it is a layman’s term that refers to a neck injury after an auto accident. “Whiplash” happens when the neck and body move in different directions causing shear forces that stretch, tear and damage spinal ligaments. The traumatic force stretches the muscles and ligaments in the neck beyond their normal physiologic range of motion.
Whiplash has many symptoms, including neck pain, shoulder pain, headache, dizziness, fatigue and more. If the neck pain is associated with arm pain, tingling, numbness or weakness, that may mean the disc is damaged or herniated in addition to the “whiplash” injuries.
A car accident chiropractor like Dr. Galante can diagnose your specific injuries and show you the exact location and severity of your injury. Once we pinpoint the location and severity of your injuries, whiplash treatment will minimally include the Cox Technic, spinal manipulation and rehab to put you on the road to recovery. We use many other services (listed above) on a case-by-case basis.
What are Common Car Accident Injuries?
Car accidents have many different effects on the body. One of the worst problems they cause is damage to the non-disc ligaments in your spine. When non-disc ligaments are stretched, they won’t go back to their normal tensile strength ever. The spine will be naturally weak after an accident and could continue that way if it doesn’t receive the proper whiplash treatment.
Muscles and ligaments stabilize the spine. Muscles are the first tissue to stabilize and ligaments, second. Therefore, we will have to strengthen your spinal muscles as part of our rehab program.
How Severe are Car Accident Injuries?
Car accident injuries are all potentially serious and could cause chronic pain. Therefore, we treat every injury case, whether it’s mild or severe, the same. Our goal is not only to get you better but also to prevent future problems. Often, people will be in an accident, have no or mild symptoms, not get treatment and then start having problems a few months later.
The goal of chiropractic care is to get you back to how you were before the accident. Painkillers and injections will only mask the symptoms and could have addictive side effects, and once they wear off, the chronic pain will persist. In contrast, our chiropractic treatments address the root of the problem head-on and naturally correct it without the use of drugs, injections or surgery.
By fixing the underlying problem, not just covering it up, we will give you the best chance of a full physical recovery and prevent chronic pain.
What About Injuries from Low-Speed Accidents?
Many people think low-speed injuries aren’t as bad, but people have died in car accidents at less than 10 mph. It doesn’t have to be a huge crash to cause spinal injuries. Think about what bumper damage looks like on a 10-mph collision. Your body is not immune to those same effects.
The problem with low-speed collisions is the car doesn’t crumple. The car is designed to crumple in high-speed collisions so that the force goes through the car and not the passengers. However, at lower speeds, the vehicle doesn’t absorb nearly as much of the impact and a lot of the trauma goes right to the occupant’s body.
What If the Accident Was My Fault? How Will Getting Treatment Affect My Car Insurance?
Many people wonder if they can still receive whiplash treatment if the accident was their fault. The answer is, yes, they can.
If the accident is their fault, most people have something on their insurance called “Med Pay” which is for medical payments. When you’re in an accident, whether it’s your fault or not, the insurance company will pay for your medical bills when you seek treatment for an injury.
Some patients also worry that getting treatment will raise their rates, but it more than likely won’t. In most instances, getting treatment will not raise your rates any more than fixing your car.
Additionally, patients wonder how much getting treatment from a car accident chiropractor will cost them. If you have the proper coverage, it usually won’t cost you anything. If there are any fees involved for treatment, our team will let you know when we give you the treatment plan before you incur those fees.
How Long Does It Take for Auto Injuries to Heal?
There is not a “one size fits all” answer to this question because injuries are different, and people heal at different rates. Think about if you have ever sprained an ankle. It typically takes 60-90 days before the ankle heals, but the process can sometimes be faster or slower, and occasionally you will have chronic problems from an ankle sprain.
Auto accident injuries are the same way. We usually start with a 60-90 day treatment plan, but some people take six months, some a year and some never get back to where they were before the accident. Most people are pretty good in the three-to-six-month timeframe.
Will a Car Accident Chiropractor Work with My Doctor or Lawyer?
Our office often collaborates with other doctors and medical providers to support our car accident patients. We will also work closely with your lawyer, if you have one, to keep them updated on your progress and get them records in a timely fashion.
At Algonquin Chiropractic Center, we’ve been treating personal injury cases for over twenty years. Therefore, we understand the legal ins and outs of these types of cases. Our team will collaborate with your lawyer to get you the best support for your case.
Visit Our Whiplash Treatment Chiropractor in Algonquin
Don’t let the pain from a recent car accident or slip and fall injury become a lifelong burden. Dr. Galante and the Algonquin Chiropractic Center team will provide the gentle care your body needs to heal itself naturally. Please call us today to schedule an appointment.