Accidents and Injuries

Back injuries from vehicle collisions vary from person to person. Common injuries may include strains, sprains, herniated discs, and fractures, and individuals dealing with certain spinal conditions like spinal stenosis may cause the medical condition to accelerate. Still, the force and physical impact the body absorbs during a crash, no matter how minor the accident or how safe the car is, will cause bodily aches and pains with the potential for other spinal conditions. Chiropractic care, massage, decompression, and traction therapy can relieve symptoms and restore mobility and function.

Back Injuries From Vehicle Collisions

Depending on how the impact affects the spine, problems can present in various areas of the back. The violent motion can sprain, strain, and fracture spinal components. Even minor incidents can impact mobility. Symptoms can stem from inflammation, compressed nerves, or fractures. Any damage can have long-lasting effects on the vertebrae, nerve roots, and back muscles. A vehicle collision can affect the following:

• Lumbar vertebrae - lower back
• Thoracic vertebrae - middle/upper back
• Cervical vertebrae - neck

Each area consists of bones, tissues, muscles, nerves, tendons, and ligaments extending from the neck to the pelvis.

• The most common back injuries are to the neck and lower back, where the most movement and shifting occurs, often causing nerve damage.
• The central placement and rigid structure make middle back injuries less common.
• Upper back injuries that connect the rib and chest region can affect breathing.
• Soft tissue injuries might not show up immediately.

Symptoms

After a vehicle collision, it's common to feel sore all over. The symptoms can range from manageable discomfort to complete immobility. Individuals may experience the following:

Muscle spasms

• The muscle may repeatedly twitch, feel like hard knots, and feel tender to the touch.
• Muscle spasms can vary in pain levels from mild to debilitating.

Stiffness

• Individuals may not feel as flexible because of the muscle tension that activated during the crash to protect the body.
• Stiffness can go away after light stretching or continue throughout the day.

Burning or Shooting Pain

• A burning or shooting pain may travel down the back and buttocks through the back of one or both legs.
• It can be mild, dull aches and pains that go away quickly or last for days.
• Changing positions, such as sitting up after waking up or standing up after sitting, can cause sharp acute pain.
• Facet disease may cause neck or shoulder pain.

Discomfort When Walking or Standing

• Certain physical activities can cause a throbbing sensation or mild pain when attempting to perform various tasks.

Tingling and/or Numbness

• Tense muscles can pinch nerves leading to sensations of tingling or numbness in the legs, feet, arms, or hands.

Head Issues

• Headaches, dizziness, or disorientation can present.

Spinal Disorders

Back injuries from vehicle collisions can result in a degenerative disc disorder months or years later. It can also speed up health issues individuals didn't know they had before the crash. As the body ages, previous damage combined with degeneration can result in:

• Pinched nerves
• Sciatica
• Bulging discs
• Herniated discs
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease
• Foraminal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Spinal osteoarthritis
• Bone spurs
• Degenerative scoliosis

Discogenic pain

• Damage to spinal discs causes discogenic pain, often sharp impulses or shooting sensations.
• Individuals can experience symptoms in different ways:
• Some individuals feel better when standing, sitting, or lying down, while the positions or motions worsen the symptoms for others.

Chiropractic Care and Therapies

Chiropractic treatment can rule out critical issues and expedite recovery time. Benefits include:

Pain Symptom Relief

• Chiropractic relieves pain in the affected areas and throughout the body.
• Massaging and decompression release endorphins.

Inflammation Alleviation

• Micro-tears within the muscles and ligaments are common and cannot be found through a standard x-ray.
• Spinal adjustments can bring the spine back into alignment, producing natural anti-inflammatory properties to assist with discomfort and heal the tears.

Scar Tissue Breakdown

• Muscles can get scarred, causing stiffness and soreness.
• Chiropractic massage targets these areas and breaks down the build-up quicker than if it was left to heal on its own.
• Less scar tissue means faster recovery.

Range of Motion and Mobility Restored

• Back injuries can result in restricted mobility.
• It may be difficult to turn or move when the muscles are inflamed.
• Mobilizing the spine through adjustments restores the proper range of motion.

Decreased Medication Use

• Prescription pain medications can turn into dependency.
• Chiropractic adjustments can ensure that the injury is healed and the pain is not just masked.

Long-Term Benefits

• Receiving chiropractic care can help prevent minor injuries from worsening into serious and chronic conditions.

Post Whiplash Symptoms

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Erbulut, Deniz U. "Biomechanics of neck injuries resulting from rear-end vehicle collisions." Turkish neurosurgery vol. 24,4 (2014): 466-70. doi:10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.9218-13.1

National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center. (2020) "Spinal Cord Injury: Facts and Figures at a Glance." https://www.nspine injurysc.uab.edu/Public/Facts%20and%20Figures%202020.pdf

Rao, Raj D et al. "Occupant and Crash Characteristics of Elderly Subjects With Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Injuries After Motor Vehicle Collisions." Spine vol. 41,1 (2016): 32-8. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000001079

Rao, Raj D et al. "Occupant and crash characteristics in thoracic and lumbar spine injuries resulting from motor vehicle collisions." The spine journal: official journal of the North American Spine Society vol. 14,10 (2014): 2355-65. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2014.01.038

A motorcyclist has an increased risk of injury every time they get on their bike and get on the road. There is no barrier to protect them in the case of a crash or accident. Because of this, motorcycle injuries sustained can be life-changing. The most common injuries that motorcycle riders sustain and suffer when involved in accidents and crashes tend to be related to high traffic, speed, distracted drivers, and construction. This means that most common motorcycle accidents and crash injuries are severe.

Road Rash

Also known as road burn. This is a type of burn that is caused when the body's skin gets badly scraped and shredded from the road. This often happens when a rider is thrown from the motorcycle skidding down the road before coming to a stop. Road rash can happen on any part of the body. For motorcyclists, it is common on the legs, hands, arms, and back.  It can be excruciating even though the injury is not considered fatal, complications and overlapping injuries can develop. This is usually in the form of infections that can affect mobility and flexibility issues that can require further medical intervention and rehabilitation. In severe cases, it can require skin grafts. Depending on the severity it can leave permanent scarring. Treatment often includes antibiotics, bandage dressings, burn soothing and disinfectant creams.

Fractures and Broken Bones

When a motorcycle and a vehicle collide, it is very common for the motorcyclist to get thrown or knocked off with intense force. When the rider hits the ground, the impact alone can cause fractures and breaks. If the rider lands at an awkward angle this can definitely cause a fracture or break. Broken bones can happen anywhere on the body, but are most commonly sustained in the arms and legs. Broken ribs are also common and usually occur when the motorcyclist gets hit or falls hard. Motorcycle endorsement classes emphasize the ATGATT system that stands for All The Gear, All The Time. This means wearing motorcyclist protective clothing and ankle-high boots. Ankle injuries and fractures are commonly sustained from operating a motorcycle.

Spinal Cord Injuries

If the spinal cord gets injured or damaged the results can be devastating. Depending on the area of the injury, an individual might not be able to walk, use their arms, or move at all. Spinal cord injuries tend to happen when the motorcyclist gets thrown hard or up in the air landing hard on their neck, back, or the body gets pierced by an object. Spine fractures often happen when the rider gets pinned or crushed between vehicles and objects. This can cause temporary or permanent paralysis.

Traumatic Brain Injury

This is one of the most serious injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash. Traumatic brain injury - TBI is when the brain sustains trauma. These injuries usually happen when a motorcyclist is involved in an accident and is not wearing a helmet, their head hits an object forcefully, the head is shaken violently back and forth, or if the skull gets punctured.  Around 15% of motorcyclists involved in accidents that receive medical treatment are diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. When a person sustains a TBI, they can develop physical and cognitive deficits. Depending on the severity, brain injuries can be treated with surgery, traction, and rehabilitation, but can have lifelong effects.

Organ Injury and Damage

Intense and forceful impacts can cause internal organ damage. Internal bleeding is common in motorcycle accidents. This can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated. Injuries that prove to be fatal, more than three-quarters are caused by traumatic brain injury.

Therapy Rehabilitation

Our experienced team of accident physical therapists and chiropractic team will review the details of the collision, medical treatments and develop a thorough rehabilitation plan. Call our team today and let us help you put your life back together.

Body Composition

Breakfast and Mental Health

Beyond an individual's physical health, breakfast can significantly impact mood and mental health. According to a 2018 study, a healthy high-quality breakfast has been shown to reduce stress and depression in adolescents. Breakfast nutritional quality was based on individual responses to the following questions:

• Do you have cereal or other grain-based products bread, toast, etc?
• Do you have some type of dairy product for breakfast?
• Do you have commercially baked goods like biscuits or pastries for breakfast?

If a participant stated they consumed commercially baked goods and did not eat bread/toast/cereal or dairy products for breakfast, this was considered a poor quality breakfast. Avoiding commercially baked goods altogether and eating whole bread, healthy cereals, and/or dairy products was considered a good quality breakfast. Choosing grain-based foods along with dairy products was considered healthy because these foods provide a wide range of nutrients. Healthy cereals can provide:

• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Micronutrients

Results found that individuals that ate healthy quality breakfasts had:

• Reduced mental distress
• Reduced depressive symptoms
• Increased positive mood
• Improved quality of life

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Alicioğlu, Banu et al. “Motosiklet kazalarina bağli yaralanmalar” [Injuries associated with motorcycle accidents]. Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica vol. 42,2 (2008): 106-11.

Araujo, Miguel et al. “Effectiveness of interventions to prevent motorcycle injuries: a systematic review of the literature.” International journal of injury control and safety promotion vol. 24,3 (2017): 406-422. doi:10.1080/17457300.2016.1224901

Dupaix, John P et al. “A Comparison of Skeletal Injuries Arising from Moped and Motorcycle Collisions.” Hawai'i journal of health & social welfare vol. 78,10 (2019): 311-315.

Elsemesmani, Hussein et al. “Association Between Trauma Center Level and Outcomes of Adult Patients with Motorcycle Crash-Related Injuries in the United States.” The Journal of emergency medicine vol. 59,4 (2020): 499-507. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2020.06.018

Peng, Yinan et al. “Universal Motorcycle Helmet Laws to Reduce Injuries: A Community Guide Systematic Review.” American journal of preventive medicine vol. 52,6 (2017): 820-832. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2016.11.030

Automobile accidents and crashes can cause all kinds of damage to the body even when the accident/crash is not severe. Physical symptoms might not present at all for several days, even weeks. This is known as having delayed injury symptoms. These can include:

• Swelling.
• Stiffness.
• Aching.
• Pain that radiates all over the body.
• Sleep problems.
• Headaches.
• Brain fog.
• Disorientation.
• Memory problems.

Chiropractic and physical therapy rehabilitation can restore the body's alignment, stop inflammation, loosen, stretch and strengthen the musculoskeletal system restoring optimal health.

Adrenaline

When the body is involved in a dangerous physical situation, it protects itself by releasing a surge of adrenaline. This hormone protects the body, causing the fight or flight response when in danger. Adrenaline causes several preservation responses that include:

• Intense increase in energy.
• Little or no pain.
• Enlarged blood vessels and airways increase oxygen flow.
• Increased strength from increased blood flow to the muscles.
• Changes in vision and hearing that focus on sights and sounds all around.
• Endorphins are released that make the body feel calm and in control.
• Endorphins affect the way the body responds to pain and stress.

Individuals don't start feeling aches and pains until the adrenaline and endorphins wear off. However, because everybody is different and the emergency response has turned off, the body still might not feel the injury symptoms. These are delayed injury symptoms.

Rate of Speed

When riding in a vehicle, the body moves at the same speed as the vehicle. During an impact, the vehicle stops, but the body continues moving until it stops, typically with a lot of force from the seatbelt, airbag, or other barriers. The intense momentum change can cause soft tissue damage and ligament or muscle strains from the stretching, pulling, contracting, and tearing. Also, the intervertebral discs can tear, bulge, or herniate over time, creating pressure on nerves and the surrounding tissues.

Delayed Injury Symptoms

Headaches

• Headaches that develop days after an accident/crash are common.
• They can signal a possible injury to the neck or head, a blood clot on the brain, or a concussion.

Numbness

• Loss of feeling in arms and hands could indicate a whiplash-associated disorder.
• The loss of feeling/sensation results from damage to the neck or spinal column.
• Around 20 percent of individuals impacted by a rear-end crash develop some whiplash symptoms.

Neck or Shoulder Pain and/or Stiffness

• Whiplash is a classic delayed symptom injury associated with accidents.
• Most delayed whiplash injuries are caused by rear-end vehicle collisions at speeds of less than 14 miles an hour.
• Whiplash injuries usually require x-rays, CT scans, or MRIs for proper diagnosis.

Abdominal Pain or Swelling

• This could indicate internal bleeding.
• Internal bleeding can remain undiscovered for hours or days.
• This can be a life-threatening condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated by emergency medical personnel.
• Other symptoms include:
• Large areas of deep bruising.
• Dizziness.
• Fainting.

Back Aches and Pains

• Back pain can be caused by injury to the muscles, ligaments, nerves, or damage to the vertebrae.
• Low back pain occurs in more than half of rear-impact collisions and almost three-quarters of side-impact crashes.

Chiropractic Rehabilitation

After an accident, soft tissues can sustain minimal damage; however, the minimal damage left untreated can start to worsen and turn into a painful condition. Emergency room visits are to rule out major injuries like brain/nerve injuries, bleeding, punctures, lacerated organs, fractures that require emergency stabilization. Chiropractors look for other symptoms and mechanisms that indicate damage to the body's soft tissues and nerves to see if they have been stretched or torn and dysfunction in the nervous system.

Body Composition

Calorie Counting

Counting calories can be a stepping stone to change behavior towards food. Tracking what foods are being taken into the body promotes mindfulness of dietary habits. Studies on the subject reveal a significant association between self-monitoring and weight loss. Takeaways include:

• Take small steps by saying no to second portions during dinner or take a healthy sweet snack or piece of fruit instead of a pastry, cookie, etc.
• Try to start making a habit of eating less processed foods.
• Processed foods take fewer calories to digest than unprocessed foods.
• This leads the body to store the excess as fat.
• Try to pair carbs with protein and fat in every meal.
• Meals high in protein and fiber are generally more filling, making the body feel fuller from fewer calories.
• The more attention there is to the food choices, the more likely reexamination occurs.

General Disclaimer *

The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed in: Texas & New Mexico*

References

Burke, Lora E et al. "Self-monitoring in weight loss: a systematic review of the literature." Journal of the American Dietetic Association vol. 111,1 (2011): 92-102. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2010.10.008

D'Elia, Michael A et al. "Motor vehicle collision with seatbelt sign and traumatic abdominal wall hernia should raise suspicion for hollow viscus injury." Trauma case reports vol. 22 100206. 25 May. 2019, doi:10.1016/j.tcr.2019.100206

Kacprzynski, Gregory, and Joshua Bucher. "Delayed vertebral artery dissection after mild trauma in a motor vehicle collision." The American Journal of emergency medicine vol. 45 (2021): 678.e1-678.e2. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2020.11.028

Olinger, Catherine, and Richard Bransford. "Upper Cervical Trauma." The Orthopedic clinics of North America vol. 52,4 (2021): 451-479. doi:10.1016/j.ocl.2021.05.013

Sterling, Michele. "Whiplash-associated disorder: musculoskeletal pain and related clinical findings." The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy vol. 19,4 (2011): 194-200. doi:10.1179/106698111X13129729551949