Many people can often experience back pain after a car accident. While you might have felt unscathed during a collision, it can take many weeks or months to develop symptoms.
While it might be tempting to struggle on with the discomfort, you should never ignore the pain you are experiencing, as it could lead to the injury progressing over time.
To quickly restore your health, find out how to treat back pain after a car accident.
Avoid Sitting for Long Periods
Sitting for long periods can often cause troublesome back pain or can amplify a complaint. If you have been involved in a road traffic accident, inactivity can exacerbate the problem and impact your quality of life.
It is important to avoid sitting down for a lengthy period, so you shouldn’t embark on a long car, train or plane journey. If you have to sit at a desk for your job, you must stand up and stretch your legs every half hour. It might also help to use a pillow to provide your lower back with support and provide pain relief.
Apply Ice and Heat onto Your Back
Ice and heat can effectively treat unpleasant back pain. For example, ice can reduce the swelling in both your muscles and tissues, which can make the pain much more bearable, while heat can increase blood flow to the affected area.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
If you are able to do so, you should consider taking over-the-counter pain relief to reduce your discomfort while you are waiting for an appointment with a doctor or chiropractor. A low dose of anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, could potentially alleviate some pain; however, you should seek advice from a doctor before taking any form of medication.
Stop Performing Tasks that Hurt
Back pain can be debilitating and can prevent you from completing various everyday tasks. While you might be tempted to complete daily tasks at home or work, you must stop immediately if it hurts you to do so, as you could injure your back even further. Pushing yourself too hard physically could set your recovery back and could lead to excruciating pain.
Choose Chiropractic Care
A car accident can cause a variety of back injuries, such as:
- Lumbar sprains
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
Regardless of the back pain you are experiencing, it is likely you will benefit for chiropractic care. There are various treatments that can help people to reduce the pain and suffering they are feeling and heal at a faster rate. What’s more, it is often a safer treatment option in comparison to surgery and opiates.
Chiropractors will have the knowledge and experience to heal the source of a pain so that you can move on from the traumatic event. If you have been involved in an auto accident, contact Icon Medical Centers for help treating injuries sustained in a collision, such as upper back pain, lower back pain, neck pain or spinal issues.