Take a look at our other physical therapy services.
Car accidents are extremely common, with over 6 million crashes on average reported to police annually. Painful injuries often result from these collisions. A mere 2.5 mile-per-hour change in speed can cause damage in the neck. As a result, even a minor car accident can lead to muscle sprains and strains, whiplash, and other serious medical issues. Soft tissue damage can be the easiest to overlook and the hardest to treat because, without proper medical intervention, these injuries can become chronic issues that last a lifetime.
Fortunately, there are care options available to patients recovering from auto accidents. Health Quest’s team can review your medical history, coordinate and communicate with your primary care doctor or other specialists, and help address the sources of pain and/or trauma caused by a car accident. Using a wide variety of modalities, and by making sure patients are comfortable with their therapy program every step of the way, our staff will help you leave your pain behind and get you back to your old self as quickly as possible.
Please feel free to contact us or request an appointment online. We are always happy to help!
Even minor car accidents can wreak havoc on our muscles and soft tissues. If you’ve been injured, Health Quest’s team will work with your primary care doctor to find the specific source of your pain and develop a personalized treatment plan for you. Start your journey to recovery the right way with one of our experienced chiropractic physicians and book an appointment online.
If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, you should have the freedom to focus on your treatment and recovery, not your ability to pay your medical bills or make up for the paychecks you’ve missed while you’ve been out of work. Chiropractic care and physical therapy are no exception, and both of these services should be covered by any Maryland PIP plan.
If you have PIP as part of your car insurance package, the experienced staff at Health Quest can help you file a claim, navigate the process, and receive the coverage you need to get back on your feet.
Yes! In the moments immediately following an accident, it's easy to think that all is well if there is no severe and/or visible physical trauma. However, injuries to soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) can take up to 72 hours to surface. These belated symptoms often include muscle pain, inflammation and muscle spasms. Even if you think these aches and pains will fade on their own, leaving them untreated could result in scar tissue of these structures that permanently restricts movement or causes chronic problems for years to come.
After an accident, your body may begin to show signs of internal pain and inflammation (i.e. soreness and guarded motion) within the first 72 hours. Symptoms can include:
Neck pain in particular is often referred to as whiplash - i.e. a neck injury caused by the head suddenly moving backward and then forward.
Whiplash is the most commonly reported auto accident injury. While it’s possible for any body part to experience a jolt or minor trauma during an accident, the neck is most vulnerable to sudden movements and changes in speed. As a result, the neck and connecting tissues are often the first to be injured via micro-ligament strains and tears.
Common symptoms associated with whiplash include:
Because the muscle tears related to whiplash are so small, they are unlikely to appear on x-rays, making it difficult for general practice doctors and hospitals to properly diagnose and treat whiplash. Unfortunately, whiplash-related injuries and symptoms can last for years if they are not treated shortly after an accident.
Chiropractors who are also licensed to do physical therapy are perhaps the most qualified to address the micro-tears and strains resulting from whiplash and other trauma-induced injuries. These specialists will conduct a full exam designed to find these tears and pain sources. They can also conduct realignment procedures of the spine and of various joints, as well as perform other treatment modalities. Treatment will help to control damage, minimize pain, decrease scar tissue, and reduce swelling.
Personal Injury Protection insurance, or PIP insurance, is an optional element of your car insurance which provides immediate payment for medical bills and lost wages as a result of an automobile accident. PIP is not mandatory in Maryland, but your insurance provider is required to offer it as a part of your auto insurance package. Because you’ll be covered no matter who was at fault in your accident, PIP is often referred to as “no fault” insurance. Additionally, taking advantage of your Maryland PIP benefits should not raise your auto insurance rates.
The first step toward making sure you’re covered in the event of an accident is to revisit your current auto insurance package. If you haven’t already opted for PIP, we highly recommend that you do! If you’re covered by PIP as part of your plan and you’ve been injured in an accident, your next step will be to file a claim with your insurance company. The team at Health Quest is here to help you throughout this process, offering our knowledge of insurance protocols and medical perspective to ensure that you get the coverage you need.
Health Quest provides a wide range of chiropractic, physical therapy, and rehabilitative services, all of which can be mixed and blended into a customized care plan based on specific patient needs. As a result, our highly qualified team can ensure that a car accident patient follows a treatment plan that will truly help them achieve maximum recovery. During each visit, you will meet with your doctor for evaluation and treatment, then move on to prescribed physical therapy protocols in one of our state-of-the-art rehabilitation facilities. These supervised protocols will gradually intensify to recondition and strengthen weakened/injured areas affected by your accident.