The unthinkable has happened. You were involved in an auto accident. The full extent of your injuries may not be apparent for several days after the initial impact. You may have whiplash from a rear end collision. You may have low back, hip, leg or knee pain from the force used to apply the brakes. You may have headaches from the muscle spasm resulting from the collision. If this has happened to you, acupuncture and massage can help.
Usually, when you are involved in a car accident you either go to the emergency room or to a medical doctor. These doctors have an important role in giving you a treatment plan, ordering imaging, referrals to other practitioners, and pharmaceutical drugs for pain and muscle relaxation. Sometimes, you will be referred for chiropractic care. If your treatment plan stops here, your recovery could be slow and painful.
If you take the treatment plan a step further, you will likely recover more quickly and with a lesser degree of pain. Acupuncture and massage is the next step. The balance method of acupuncture is used to achieve maximum pain relief, click here to read the balance method brochure. Often, within minutes of the insertion of the needles, the pain is decreased to a tolerable level and sometimes alleviated completely. This acupuncture method is useful for any and all symptoms resulting from an auto injury.
Massage is extremely beneficial for treating pain resulting from muscle spasm. The massage also works in conjunction with the acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments to relax the muscles. When the muscles are addressed, the adjustment tends to hold longer between visits.
If you are involved in an automobile accident, these are the steps you should consider taking. First, seek immediate medical care if you even suspect you might be injured. If your injuries are not emergent, consider making an appointment with your primary care physician as soon as possible. This doctor will most likely send you for imaging (xrays, CT scans, etc) and prescribe muscle relaxers and pain medication for symptom relief. These medications do not, however, address the underlying reason for the pain, they just mask the symptoms. Many people stop care here. You can ask this doctor for a referral for acupuncture and massage. With this referral, your PIP insurance will pay for the majority of your acupuncture and massage treatment.
Second, contact an attorney that specializes in automobile accidents, especially if you were not at fault. The attorney may have some suggestions about what doctors to see if you do not have one. Be sure to tell the attorney that you are receiving acupuncture and massage treatment. Usually, the settlement amount will cover the portion of the treatment the insurance does not. This is one of the benefits of obtaining legal representation.
Thirdly, schedule your appointments for treatment. So far, you have not treated your injuries. You have basically just documented them and masked the symptoms with medication. Now is the time to get some pain relief. Call me at 239-260-4566, to schedule your initial acupuncture and massage visit with me. Following, is the basic treatment plan for an automobile injury.
When you come in for your visit you will be asked to fill out paperwork. The auto insurance and attorneys require this documentation in order to properly proceed with your case. You will tell me about the extent of your injuries and we will get started with the acupuncture. (Please visit my website for more information about acupuncture.) I will ask you about your level of pain after inserting each needle, you should notice a considerable reduction in your pain level at this time. The needles are left in place for about 30 minutes while you relax on the table listening to soft music. The needles will then be removed and the injured area will be massaged for 10-15 minutes. Massage can be given without acupuncture, as needed. At the end of the treatment, you will be given some things to do at home between treatments such as using ice, contrast hydrotherapy, stretching, etc. We will discuss the optional use of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and homeopathics to decrease inflammation, decrease pain, and speed recovery. Next, we will decide if you would benefit from chiropractic care and appropriate referrals will be made. Finally, we will discuss your individual treatment plan. For maximum results, three treatments for the first 2-3 weeks, followed by two treatments per week until considerable improvement is maintained. Then a maintenance schedule of once per week weaning down to every other week usually results in optimum recovery and pain relief. If you have any questions about your particular case and the services we offer, please contact me at Toni@AcupunctureSolutionsOnline.com or 239-260-4566.
