With all the snow inbound (we’ll see if the weatherman got it right), there’s also a good chance there’ll be lots of cars in the ditches or kissing bumpers. And while we’d all like the snow to avoid the pavement and just look pretty in the mountains, that’s just wishful thinking. Joking aside, the risk of a car accident is real, and while we hope you won’t have to use these 3 tips, they’ll help if you’ve recently gotten in an accident.
#1: PIP is King
PIP stands for “Personal Injury Protection”. Everyone should have it. PIP is a separate “fund” set aside to pay for any medical expenses from the accident. The best part? It’s no fault. Your insurance company doesn’t care who, what, or why about the car accident. All you have to do? Call, open a claim, and show up and get treated.
#2: A bad penny
The biggest risk of whiplash is chronic pain. Some estimates found that 30-50% of whiplash victims will end up with chronic neck pain. Yeesh. This is why adjustments plus massage aren’t enough. Using strength training to build a strong, resilient spine is critical. We want to give the body every chance for a full recovery.
#3: Patient Patients
If there’s anything we’ve learned over the years treating whiplash, is that the key is patience. While you may think it’s not much different than tweaking your neck while sleeping on the couch, it’s just not the same. Depending on the severity of the injury, treatment can range anywhere from 1-2 months to up to 6 months. Of course, we always strive to reach full healing faster. But we also strive for sustainable results. Remember point #2 – we don’t want this coming back.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Dr. Ken
P.S. Check out our other recent blog posts on:
Headaches
Jaw Pain!