In a rear-end collision the torso is pushed forward by the seat while the head lags behind, then snaps forward after it — the whiplash motion that strains the joints, ligaments and muscles the length of the neck and into the upper back. Pain often does not peak on the day of the crash; it commonly builds over the next 24 to 72 hours as inflammation sets in, which is why the first visit is an examination rather than a treatment plan handed over on arrival.
Call 911 or go to an emergency department if any of these are present:
Those need to be evaluated right away rather than worked through in a treatment plan.
Chiropractic care and Physical Therapy do most of the work: restoring motion in the neck and upper back, and settling the muscles that have been guarding the injury since the crash. Acupuncture is available where it helps with pain and muscle tone.
If pain is not settling, or it changes in character or spreads, the Pain Management physicians review the case and decide what the next step should be. Interventional procedures, where they are needed, are performed in office at Mesa and Westgate.
The whiplash treatment page covers the neck injury itself in more detail, and back pain after a car accident covers the rest of the spine when both are involved.
Most whiplash-type neck and back pain eases over a period of weeks with conservative care. Pain that is not starting to settle, or that is getting worse rather than better, is worth bringing back to the clinic for a follow-up rather than waiting it out.
Nothing is due at the first visit. Care can be billed to the med-pay portion of an auto policy (the medical-payments coverage on the policy), to a lien where an attorney is involved (the clinic waits to be paid from your settlement), or to your health insurance, with the route set up at that first visit. The full breakdown is on the who pays for treatment page.
Yes. Whiplash-type pain often builds over the first 24 to 72 hours rather than appearing right away.
Not always. The exam determines whether X-ray or MRI is needed; most soft-tissue injuries do not require it up front.
Care can be billed to auto insurance med-pay, health insurance, or a lien while a claim is open.
That is worth an examination promptly. Numbness or weakness spreading into a limb is on the list of signs to have checked without delay.
No. You can book directly, and appointments are usually available within the same week.
No referral is needed, appointments are usually available within the same week, and accident care can be billed to med-pay or to a lien.
