Our kids are the most important people in the world to us, so it’s no wonder we want to keep them safe and help them stay healthy. When an unfortunate accident occurs, like an auto accident, you will not only be worried about your own health and well-being, but also for your children, which makes a stressful situation that much more overwhelming. We want to do what’s best for our kids, and that means taking them to the doctor after a car accident, even if they don’t seem to be injured.
A College Park chiropractor who specializes in car accident injuries will use a gentle, all-natural, and safe approach to assessing how the auto accident may have affected you and your child.
How Do Car Accidents Affect Kids?
Younger kids are typically safer during a car accident than adults when they are properly seated in their car seats or booster seats. The latest safety standards for children’s safety seats involve a five-point harness and padding that can help prevent them from getting too shaken up.
However, nothing is foolproof and there are situations where your kids can get injured. The most common car accidents are fender-benders, where you are hit from behind. The force of this kind of accident can cause the body to be violently thrust forward and backward upon impact, which can lead to common injury known as whiplash. While the upper body and trunk are held in place by seat belts and harnesses, the head and neck are left vulnerable to the force of the accident.
What Are Some Common Kids Injuries?
Whiplash can occur in both kids and adults and is actually the most common car accident injury. When you or your child has a whiplash injury, the neck muscles are typically strained and stressed, which can lead to a sore, stiff neck and pain when turning your head in certain directions. This pain and discomfort can get worse at night when trying to find a comfortable way to sleep, so you may notice your child experiencing some sleep disturbance after a car accident.
Unfortunately, broken bones can occur during a car accident as well, especially with extremities like the arms and wrists since they are not restrained during the accident. Some bruising may occur around the seat belt areas, like the shoulders and waist, where it has worked hard to restrain your child from further injury.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help Kids?
Just like with adult injuries after a car accident, kids may not realize they have an injury until they start to notice pain or significant discomfort. That’s because our bodies are full of adrenaline after an accident, and even the shock and stress of the accident can prevent our bodies from fully recognizing any physical effects. Even if you haven’t noticed any symptoms, your chiropractor can assess you for possible car accident injuries and help get a head start on helping you and your children heal and recover.
Natural Treatment Approach
Chiropractic care offers a natural treatment approach to treating your children, whether you bring your children in after an auto accident or for health and wellness. Chiropractors don’t prescribe any medications and instead help promote the natural healing abilities inside the body. You won’t have to worry about strong drugs or invasive procedures when you take your children to see a chiropractor after a car accident.
Safe for Growing Bodies
Chiropractic care is also safe for growing bodies. Your children’s bodies are growing and can respond differently to injury and trauma than adult bodies. A chiropractor can identify injuries or issues that may prevent healthy growth and development and resolve them. Chiropractic adjustments are safe and gentle techniques that help resolve misalignments in the spine that can keep your child’s brain from effectively communicating to the rest of the body.
Supporting a Full Recovery
When you see a chiropractor for an injury, they will focus on three things: addressing your symptoms, treating the root cause of your pain, and promoting better functioning for the future. That means your chiropractor is here to help you in the short-term and the long-term as you recover from whatever ails you or your child.
At AICA Orthopedics, our team of chiropractors and doctors are trained and specialize in treating auto accident injuries and also promoting health and well-being in everyone who visits our office. Call or visit us online to schedule an appointment with a College Park chiropractor at AICA Orthopedics and know that you and your family will be in good hands.