Chiropractic Treatment for Accident Victims
Victims of motor vehicle accidents and other traumatic incidents often struggle with chronic pain from their injuries. Chiropractors are just one of the many types of health professionals who help accident victims deal with their pain and move forward on the road toward recovery. Chiropractic treatment consists primarily of adjustments to the spine, which are believed to be effective in reducing back pain, neck pain and headaches in many patients.
Unfortunately, chiropractic adjustments and other post-accident rehabilitation services can be quite expensive. If you have suffered serious injuries in an accident that was caused by another person's negligence, you may be entitled to compensation to offset your medical bills, pain and suffering and other expenses. Contact a personal injury lawyer for more information.
Chiropractic and Soft Tissue Injuries
Car accidents and other traumatic incidents can cause a variety of injuries, from traumatic brain injuries to broken bones. Another common injury is damage to the body's soft tissues, which often requires significant rehabilitation. While some injuries, such as broken bones, eventually heal and cause no further pain, soft tissue injuries often lead to chronic pain. If you are suffering from this type of injury and pain, your doctor may recommend you seek the help of a chiropractor and/or other rehabilitation specialist.
Chiropractic is a form of complementary healthcare focusing on the relationship between the structure and function of the body. Broadly speaking, chiropractors treat issues related to the musculoskeletal system, but chiropractic mainly focuses on the spine.
Chiropractic treatment of soft tissue injuries mostly involves manual spinal adjustments (the main type of treatment chiropractors perform). These adjustments, or "manipulations," are meant to address any interference the spine may be causing with the healing of soft tissue injuries. The principal theory behind chiropractic is that misalignment of the spine can interfere with the body's healing processes.
Chiropractic Diagnosis and Treatment
Chiropractors use a number of methods to diagnose patients prior to treatment. This may include:
- Reviewing the patient's medical history
- Physical, orthopedic and neurological exams
- Lab tests
- X-rays
- Analysis of posture
If a patient's symptoms can be linked to the musculoskeletal system, the chiropractor will likely recommend spinal adjustments or other chiropractic treatment.
Chiropractors also make use of other forms of therapy. Many chiropractic offices employ or have relationships with other alternative medicine practitioners, some of whose services may be recommended by the physician directing an accident victim's rehabilitation. This may include, among others, physical therapists, masseurs and acupuncturists. In addition to these specialists, an accident victim's rehabilitation team may include psychologists and counselors.
Compensation for Your Injuries
Chiropractic treatment is one of the many forms of therapy accident victims may benefit from. While insurance may cover some of the expense associated with these treatments, oftentimes much of the cost is left to the patient. If you have been injured in an accident that may have resulted from another party's negligence, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. You may be able to recover damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, and other issues that come about as a result of your injuries. 
[Last revision: July 2009]
In the U.S., chiropractors must receive a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in order to practice.