Injuries after a car accident, including whiplash
Neck and back strain, headaches, stiffness and soreness that show up hours or days after a collision.
What is auto injuries?
Even a low-speed collision moves the body faster than its muscles can react. The neck is whipped forward and back (whiplash), the low back and pelvis are jarred against the seat belt, and knees, wrists and shoulders can be bruised or sprained. Symptoms often appear a day or more later, once the adrenaline wears off, which is why people who felt fine at the scene come in the following week. It is one of the most common reasons people from Meridian and across the Treasure Valley come to see us.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, one of the most common causes of neck pain is whiplash resulting from a car accident. A sudden forced movement of the head or neck in any direction and the resulting “rebound” in the opposite direction is known as whiplash. The sudden “whipping” motion injures the surrounding and supporting tissues of the neck and head. Muscles react by tightening and contracting, creating muscle fatigue, which can result in pain and stiffness. Severe whiplash can also be associated with injury to the intervertebral joints, discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerve roots.
Why does it keep coming back?
Ligament strain that is never assessed can settle into long-term stiffness and recurring pain, and insurers expect an injury to be documented soon after the accident. An early exam does both: it finds what was hurt, and it records it.
How we look at it at Bonfire
The first visit is the same careful process whatever brought you in: a nerve scan with a chiropractic assistant, then your history, a thorough exam with the doctor, and X-rays the same day. Visit two is the report of findings, where you hear what was found and what care could look like, before your first adjustment.
What does care involve?
Drs. Barker and Weed are experienced in personal-injury exams, with X-rays taken in house the same day. Care is built on the findings: gentle, specific adjustments to the neck, back and pelvis, corrective exercise as the tissue settles, and SoftWave therapy where the doctors think it may help. The clinic bills the responsible party's auto insurance or med-pay and keeps the records your claim needs. See our auto accident care page for how the billing works.
In a patient's words
My kiddo got in a car accident and we decided to come here since they were so close to us and it's been a perfect fit for our family. … They're always on board to accommodate our crazy schedule.
Brenda L., patientIndividual results vary. Care is based on your own exam.
Questions about auto injuries
I felt fine after the accident. Should I still come in?
Yes. Collision symptoms commonly appear a day or more later. An exam documents your condition either way.
Do I pay up front?
For auto accident care the clinic bills the responsible party's auto insurance or med-pay. Bring the claim number and insurance details if you have them.
How soon should I be seen?
As soon as you can. The first weeks matter for your recovery and for your claim.
This page is general education, not medical advice. Individual results vary. Talk with a qualified healthcare provider about your own situation, and never stop a prescribed medication without speaking to the doctor who prescribed it.