In this icy weather, know what to do in case of an accident!

We have been having one snow storm after the other, and while we might like to just hibernate until spring comes around, occasionally we will have to get out there on the roads! Today they were predicting ice, this is one time i'm glad the weather man was wrong :)  

I hope you stay safe on the roads but if you or someone you know does have an accident there are a few things you should think about. Very often, severe traumatic injuries require the intervention of a surgeon especially when there are broken bones, damaged internal organs or when the soft tissues are severely torn. Those patients usually end up directly in the emergency room. Frequently however, for patients who have been in minor to moderate traffic accidents, there can be severe pain with little immediately apparent structural damage. Especially in the case of motor vehicle accidents, symptoms may show up later and may not even be directly correlated to the recent accident. In a lot of these cases, physical medicine methods are the best solutions.

My own fender bender brings to mind a patient that I had once who was in a reasonably serious traffic accident. We all dread that moment when someone, completely unknown to us slams into our car and changes our lives forever. Well this case was no exception, well…except that my poor patient had his two daughters in the car with him! As a parent, I can tell you truly, when he sat in my office with his two beautiful girls and told me everything that had happened I genuinely empathized (and this was before my own accident!) Thank goodness, everyone had been wearing their seat belts, but everyone was banged around pretty badly. 

They had gone to the emergency room where the ER doc had suggested that the dad see his regular doctor. After consulting his attorney about the accident, he and the chicas were sent to us. Dad did very well in a short time with the usual 3 step treatment system that we employ in practice. His main concern for the girls was that they were in severe pain that was not well managed by Tylenol, but he was uncomfortable giving them the more advanced analgesics that had been prescribed and he was looking for a drug free option. Children are great patients. They approached the rehabilitation exercises with greater enthusiasm than I have ever seen in my adult patients. Within 2 weeks of modalities, joint and soft tissue manipulation and rehabilitation exercises, the girls were pain free and back to participating in their pee wee sports teams as if nothing had happened.

Here are some suggestions for what to do in the unfortunate event of an accident:

1) If you have the opportunity to go to the ER or to see your doctor, do so as soon as possible

2) Sometimes there is severe pain but no overt evidence of damage. If that is the case, go in to see your chiropractor or physical therapist as soon as possible

3) Symptoms of whiplash do not always show up immediately so monitor how you are feeling and if you notice symptoms see your health care provider sooner than later

4) Physical symptoms are not the only ones to be concerned with. Many patients who have had accidents suffer from a form of post traumatic stress. Seeing a mental health professional after an accident is often an excellent idea

Please be safe out there.

Regards in health,
Dr. Shepherd