Few instances shatter our normal world into pieces more quickly than an automobile accident. Never expected, a wreck causes bodily injury, stress, and, in some cases, ongoing financial litigation issues.

Unfortunately, the vast number of vehicles on the road today, as well as drivers’ penchant for distracted driving, dramatically increases an individual’s chances of being involved in a crash. If you already suffer from an injury or medical condition, you must do your part to ensure it is not aggravated or exacerbated.

If a car crash happens to you, it’s essential to recognize and follow these six tips to keep you safe and your injuries to a minimum.

Immediately take stock of the situation

The way you react seconds after a crash impacts the situation tremendously. Determine what area you are injured, and if you are in imminent danger in the vehicle.

For example, if the automobile is on fire, or you are sinking into a lake, rescue yourself as quickly as possible. Otherwise, stay inside your vehicle.

Analyze your injured areas

How injured do you appear to be? Keep in mind you are not a doctor. So, even if you feel fine, your neck or back could still have been impacted. Identify which areas of your body hurts, and the intensity of the pain.

Wait for the authorities

Stay calm inside your vehicle and wait for the police and ambulance to arrive. This is imperative if your vehicle has flipped and you are hanging from your seatbelt.

Many head and neck injuries result from automobile occupants releasing their seat belts after a crash that has left them upside down.

Inform the emergency technicians

Once help arrives, it’s vital to explain to them, if you can, the areas of injury. If you have previously suffered from injury or medical condition to your neck, back, or spine, let them know that, too.

This information helps them formulate the form of extraction and emergency treatment that minimizes the chance of creating further harm. Be calm and specific when you relay the information, using simple language and the 1-10 pain scale to describe your level of discomfort.

Visit your chiropractor

If your injuries are deemed minimal and you are released, be happy and grateful that you were not hurt worse! Then, make an appointment so we can asses the extent of any damage after listening to the nature of your wreck and performing a comprehensive examination.

Certain injuries take a few days to show up, and the crash could have impacted bones, joints, and ligaments that went undiscovered during the initial after-crash exam. Whiplash injuries not only increase the incidence of chronic neck and shoulder pain, they also significantly increase the incidence of other systemic ill health effects and chronic problems down the road if left untreated.

Minimize the chances of another automobile accident

While you cannot control being in a wreck, you can take measures to guard against the occurrence, and give yourself a greater chance to avoid injury. Always wear your seatbelt, avoid distracted driving (this means your cell phone), maintain your vehicle’s brakes and tires, and understand the current traffic laws. Commit to driving at a safe speed depending on the weather conditions, and never, ever drive after imbibing alcohol.

Being in an automobile accident is scary business, and we hope it never happens to you. There is increased risk to individuals who already deal with medical conditions or bodily injuries from sports, work, or falls.

However, by maintaining a clear head and following these six tips, you can minimize the chance of being seriously injured in many car wreck situations and return to your normal life quickly, putting this awful incident behind you.

Nearly everyone has a smartphone or mobile device these days, and while there is some merit to this technology by keeping us more connected – at least virtually – it is wreaking havoc on our bodies. When you look at the posture that people assume when texting, reading email, or browsing social media while on their mobile device or smartphone, you will see their head bent forward and rounded shoulders. They typically hold the device either at chest level or waist level meaning that their hands are together, forming an almost crouch position.

This is very bad for the spine but it creates problems for other parts of the body even beyond the spine. Let’s take a look at some of the common issues that come with bad smartphone posture.

Text Neck

The more you tilt your head downward (just as you do when looking at a smartphone), the more pounds of pressure you put on your neck and back. Your spine supports the weight of your head. The more it is thrust forward, looking down, the heavier your head gets. Consequently, text neck can result in pain in the neck and upper shoulders, headaches, and a change in the curve of the neck. Like other overuse issues, such as tennis elbow or runner’s knee, it can also lead to problems that can get worse over time, including:

• Arthritis
• Herniated and bulging discs
• Muscle strain
• Pinched nerves

Some patients report pain while others feel pressure, and others feel tightness. Sometimes the pain will spread throughout the body or from the neck to the arms and hands.

Forearm and Wrist Pain

Even the way you hold your phone in your hands can cause problems. Since you keep your hand in one position for long periods of time your muscles never have a chance to relax. You have several muscles engaged to do this: the forearms, the wrist, and the neck.

If you are experiencing pain, sometimes shooting, in your elbow or wrist your smartphone use may be the culprit. So put the phones away or leave them at home.

Sore Upper and Lower Back

As your neck struggles to support your head which is rolled forward, it stands to reason that you will experience back pain. In fact, both upper and lower back pain have been attributed to smartphone use.

Think about the muscles that run along your spine. They help stabilize it and help control and support your head. When you hunch over you strain those muscles in your upper back. What you may not realize is that similar strain is being put on the muscles in your lower back as well.

SMARTPHONE Thumb

The muscles in your hand are very small but they can cause you a great deal of pain if you frequently use a mobile device. As you type on the keyboard of your smart phone, it can cause problems with tendons and ligament as well as the muscles.

This repetitive stress of the body is caused daily by people who stay hunched over their small phone screen. The repetitive movement of your thumb as it manipulates the device can cause inflammation in the thumb and hand.

Headaches from Tension in Neck and Back

One of the most common ailments associated with mobile device usage is headaches. These headaches can come from tension in the neck, strained muscled in the back, or overworked muscles through the hand and arm into the shoulder. It can also come from eyestrain caused by staring at the screen for extended amounts of time, looking at tiny text.

There is no doubt that mobile device usage is becoming a serious problem in our society today. While there are the people who text while driving or while walking, posing a significant threat to their own and others’ safety, what they are doing to their own bodies is enough to cause alarm.

Chiropractic care can ease the pain and reverse a good portion of the damage that has been done, but if when people continue with the same bad habits the treatment is only temporary. There needs to be a focused effort made to pull people out of their mobile devices, at least a portion of the time, to minimize the structural spinal damage they are doing to themselves.

• Roll your head gently from side to side.
• Press your head against your hands, first pressing forward, then pushing your hands to the back to press backwards.
• Stand about 2 feet back from a corner. Place your left arm on the left-side wall and your right arm on the right-side wall, then lean in as far as possible without any pain. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds to work your shoulder muscles.

As a personal injury attorney residents recommend can share, the days and weeks following an accident are often rife with challenges as victims recover from the physical injuries sustained after the accident. Victims may have little time to consider whether they should take legal action. While the prospect of pursuing a personal injury claim may appear complicated, as Ward & Ward Law Firm will share, with help from a legal professional, it’s possible to determine whether victims have a viable case for seeking losses moving forward. The following are possible signs that may be present that indicate victims should at least consider taking legal action:

The Other Party Was Negligent

For a successful personal injury case outcome, victims must be able to prove that the party responsible owed a duty of care and breached their duty of care. Negligence is a crucial factor in these types of cases meaning when another party was negligent; victims may be able to seek damages for their losses. For a potential settlement, the victim and their lawyer must be able to provide evidence that, based upon the preponderance of the evidence, it’s more likely than not that the defendant was responsible for losses. Doing so will require evidence supporting the claim, such as medical records, police/accident reports, photographs/videos of injuries and the accident, etc.

The Victim Was Injured And Faced Losses

Despite an accident where the defendant was negligent, it’s important to note that negligence is not the only factor that must be present when pursuing a personal injury claim. To be compensated for losses, victims must also have experienced losses of some kind. This can take several forms, such as injuries resulting in pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, property damages, and more. In situations where victims have not experienced losses, pursuing a legal claim is not likely in the victim’s best interest.

The Defendant’s Insurance Company Has Reached Out

In cases that are egregious, resulting in severe damages, or where liability is clear, the defendant’s insurance company may reach out to the victim, offering a settlement for losses. This is not an uncommon occurrence for accident cases; however, victims of accidents should proceed with caution for several reasons. Victims may be offered a settlement, but it’s essential to know that these offers are likely well below the value of losses. In some cases, victims may be tempted to accept these offers; it’s often in their best interest to seek a lawyer’s representation for a better opportunity at receiving a fair settlement offer. On another note, speaking with the insurance company can impact the case’s value because, through these conversations, victims may inadvertently admit fault, or the insurance adjuster may find a way to mitigate the injuries. Unfortunately, speaking to insurance companies put victims at risk of walking away with a claim denial or empty-handed.

Damages are a legal way of rectifying the losses a victim has experienced, and when cases are successful, victims may receive compensation for these losses. While accidents can range from minor to severe, the damages awarded can be substantial, even in minor cases. Because of this, consulting with a lawyer to determine whether victims have a chance is often in their best interest. Working with a personal injury attorney can play a critical role in determining whether compensation is available for experienced losses. To learn more about your case and compensation that may be available, schedule a consultation with an area lawyer before it’s too late.

Physical Therapy

People have been turning to physical therapy successfully for generations. When people are facing ailments like aches and pains throughout their bodies or a decreased range of motion physical therapy can help these areas. Physical therapists are skilled and experienced in helping their patients overcome a variety of different injuries or pains. 

Common Injuries or Ailments Needing Physical Therapy

There are numerous injuries and ailments that physical therapy helps treat. These include:

Neck pain – A physical therapist can help restore function and comfort to the neck after periods of pain or soreness. The neck is a crucial component of the body allowing people to turn their heads and do other functions. When the neck is unable to perform to its function it can greatly reduce someone’s quality of life.

Back pain – Back pain is one of the most common areas of pain and discomfort in the body. Physical therapy has helped numerous people get through this pain with different PT techniques and procedures.

Knee pain – Ailing knee pain can be a nuisance and keep people from fully utilizing their legs. Walking can be painful and so can running and even just standing. Many people then go to physical therapy to strengthen the knee joints and other parts of the body that align with the knee.

Range of motion injuries – These injuries hinder people from being able to fully use their legs or arms for a variety of different tasks. It may be painful to lift arms or extend legs. When someone undergoes a physical therapy program a physical therapist uses their skills and experience to help patients return to their proper range of motion. 

Carpal tunnel – Carpal tunnel is an injury that happens to people who use their hands and wrists a lot over time. People who spend a great deal of time on a computer using their hands on the mouse and keyboard or piano players who play the piano repeatedly may be impacted by this injury.

Huntington’s disease – This disease leaves people with the involuntary movement of limbs. When a sufferer of this disease uses physical therapy it can help strained muscles or limbs to be less affected by this disease.

Headaches – Headaches are oftentimes caused by other areas of the body. Physical therapy seeks to strengthen parts of the body that can lead to headaches like the neck, head, and other regions.

Vertigo – Vertigo is something caused by an imbalance. Physical therapy seeks to correct balance issues and in turn, reduce the effects of vertigo. 

Sprains and strains – A robust physical therapy program will bring strength back to areas that have been sprained or strained. Working with an experienced PT will help fix these problems.

Professional Physical Therapists

To get the care and assistance you need for your ailments and injuries consider reaching out to a clinic according to our friends at Mid Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic. Their physical therapy services have helped people for years and can be a good source of information for your own physical therapy needs.