All car accidents are different. The angle at which one vehicle hits another object / vehicle, the type of vehicle involved, the age of the person(s) in each vehicle (if there is more than one vehicle involved), the use of seatbelts, the time of day and weather conditions at the time of the accident, and other variables all play a role in the injuries that affect each occupant of each vehicle.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rate of auto accident injuries has been on the decline in recent years, yet while that statement sounds nice, on average, almost 3 million people were in auto accidents last year, and approximately 4300 of those are fatal accidents. A vehicle accident is not just defined as two cars hitting one another. There are many types of auto accidents, such as: vehicle on vehicle (car, truck, SUV, motorcycle, etc), vehicle on stationary object (tree, pole, fence, building, median, etc), vehicle on pedestrian, etc.

An injury stemming from one of these auto accidents can be classified as a major injury or a minor one. In some cases there are no injuries whatsoever. So what's the difference between the major and minor auto accident injuries? Regardless of how bad the injury may be, the people involved should consult a chiropractic physician immediately because the injury may not present itself for days or even weeks after an accident occurs. A chiropractic physician can then prescribe or schedule treatments.

The Role of the Chiropractor in Auto Accidents

A chiropractor's skills lie primarily in techniques related to the spine. A person in a car accident may experience one or all of the following symptoms stemming from spinal injury or bruising:

• Lower and / or Upper Back Pain
• Neck Pain / Whiplash
• Headaches
• Pinched Nerves
• Sciatica
• Slipped Disc
• Stress
• Shoulder and / or Arm

A chiropractor will suggest a schedule of treatment to help heal the injuries. If an injured person requires medical attention the chiropractor will refer the patient to a medical physician. Chiropractic care is a very important part of the healing process for the injured in car accidents.