Car Accident Treatment Portland
Car Accident?
A car accident can be a life changing experience. Usually not for the better. Injuries causing back, neck, head, even shoulders, hands and feet pain can change your life. The simplest of daily activities can become a problem: sleeping, working, walking, etc. Also a loss of energy, and many other activities that we usually take for granted. Until they are compromised. Then there can be problems with your ability to do your work, getting your car fixed, dealing with an insurance company, needing a lawyer to help you. The list goes on and on.
Depending on the severity of the accident, some people may go to the emergency room, their family doctor, the chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist, try exercising, etc.
The most important thing to do first after a car accident is to go to a doctor: chiropractor, medical doctor, emergency room. Be sure you have not broken any bones. An x-ray will determine if you have broken any bones. If you have not, then you have what is called a "soft tissue injury". Most of the time.
Soft tissue injuries can involve pinched nerves, stretched ligaments, muscles and tendons. All contributing to different levels of pain and dysfunction. As a chiropractor, I am thinking first (after we know that you don't have any broken bones): do you have any pinched nerves? What is the alignment of your spine? Do you have any subluxations (bones out of place)? If so, then a myriad of symptoms can be caused by this. Go to my website to see the video showing you what happens to your body in a rear-end car accident. It happens fast. Sometimes you don't even know what hit you.
My procedure on your first visit with me is to understand what happened in the car accident (your history), where you were sitting at the time of impact, etc. Whether or not you are in any pain, how much pain, where the pain is, how it affects you, etc.
The first thing is to be sure you have no broken bones as determined by X-RAY, MRI or CAT Scan. Sometimes a patient may already have these, or at least the report(s) when they come for their free consultation. If not, we want to do the appropriate test for you. Usually the x-ray is first.
Next is to examine you. The exam includes a postural exam where I evaluate you standing in gravity. Are you standing straight? Any head tilt? Ears, shoulders, hips level? Feet turned in/out? Shoes wearing evenly? All these positions (postural attitudes), can cause stress in your back or neck causing pinched nerves and pain and dysfunction.
After your postural examination, I feel the bony prominences of the whole back and neck for misalignments (subluxations), tight, tender spots and muscle spasms. These areas, when out of alignment (subluxated), can also cause malfunction in for example, the stomach, bowels, etc.
After your palpation exam, I perform some orthopedic and neurological tests to further determine any pressure on the nerves or discs or joints.
If you have any other health conditions we will talk about them as well. It is important for me to get as clear a picture as possible of your overall health. This allows me to give you an idea (prognosis) as to how you may respond to my care plan if I accept you as a patient.
Finally, I will either recommend any further imaging studies (X-RAYS/MRI) you may need.
Once I have all this information, I will let you know if I can accept you as a patient. If so, I will then recommend a care plan specific for your injury. I will also recommend that you at least consult for free with a Personal Injury Lawyer who specializes in car accident injuries so that you will understand any and all legal issues that may arise during the course of your care with me. These may include issues like time loss, car repairs, etc... And once you are stable or as close to your pre-accident status as possible, he will help you get your bills paid as well as settle your claim for future pain and suffering.
YOUR CARE WITH ME
Our goal is very simple. Get you out of pain, back to your pre-accident status, as soon as possible, with as few problems (residuals) as possible. And a home care program that will include specific stretches, traction positions, all designed to help you maintain and improve upon what we have accomplished in the office. The more you do at home, the less follow up/maintenance care you will need once you are stabilized. And you will need some schedule of follow up/maintenance care that we will determine together.
You will be given a written recommendation plan for clinic and home care.
The clinic treatment care will include gentle massage/trigger point release to the injured muscles, then chiropractic adjustments to the spine, followed by some traction positions to be done at home between treatments. I will also show you stretches to be done at home. Massage therapy will also be prescribed to relax and keep the muscles lose so they can heal properly.
Within this care plan that I give to you are specific whole food concentrates that will help feed your injured ligaments, tendons and muscles. I realize that most people are taking vitamins, minerals and herbs etc. What I recommend are strictly whole food concentrates that are high in the necessary nutrients needed to heal your injured body parts.
From a dietary standpoint, I recommend you avoid the "white plague": white flour, white sugar, pasteurized milk. These rob your body of necessary vitamins, minerals, etc. that your body needs to heal. If you cannot eliminate them, at least cut back. I realize this recommendation may raise a few eyebrows. I can guide you to understand it. One resource to check is the PricePottengerNutritionFoundation. This is the original source of this health information that was thoroughly documented back in the 1920's to 1940's.
Consultation with me is FREE.
It would be my privilege to meet you and take care of you.
Sincerely,
Dr. Siegfried
