Learning about Whiplash the Hard Way!

Even a small fender bender can be enough to send someone to the chiropractor; and I learned this the hard way! It was a warm, sunny afternoon in Arizona, where I was visiting a college friend, and I decided to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure after a long, hard day of shopping with Jen. Upon leaving the salon I hit the road. Traffic was moving well and I was anticipating getting home and preparing dinner for my family. Suddenly the vehicle in front of me slammed on their brakes! Luckily, I was far enough behind the driver to stop in time, but the vehicle behind me was not. Apparently, the driver in the car behind me did not have his eyes on the road, and he slammed into the back of my car. Once I collected myself enough that I wouldn’t yell at the driver, I got out of the car to assess the damage. Thankfully, the damage was minimal—just a small dent in the bumper. The driver asked me if I was hurt, but from what I could tell, I was fine. I took down the drivers’ insurance information and went on my way. The rest of the evening progressed as normal and I didn’t think much more about it.

The next morning I awakened to some serious pain in my back and shoulders. I contacted my doctor and told her what had happened the day before. She informed me that this was a common occurrence and a common mistake! She said that just because I didn’t feel much at the time of the accident, it didn't mean that I wasn’t actually injured. She advised me to see a chiropractor. A little shaken up, I Google searched for an Arizona car accident doctor, and quickly found one near me.

At the appointment, the chiropractor asked me all kinds of questions regarding my medical history, and also reviewed with me the details of the accident. He said that based on the signs and symptoms I was having, I was likely suffering from whiplash. I was completely shocked; all of this from a fender bender? I ended up having to undergo chiropractic manipulation, or chiropractic adjustment; a huge term which essentially means the doctor gently moves the affected area and joints into the direction in which they are restricted. Muscle stimulation by repeated extension and contraction of the muscles was also used to relax the affected muscles in my neck and back.

Needless to say, I will never underestimate the severity of any injury again. Especially in a rear end accident!