If you’ve experienced a car accident, the physical injury of whiplash is not just the only injury you must recover from.

Many people, whether you were the driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian, struggle with the mental trauma post-accident.

Anxiety is the silent killer of all.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often affects many victims of car accidents. They struggle to drive, ride in a car, and pass by the same location of the accident. Although most patients focus on recovering first on the physical recovery after an accident, they often forget about the mental healing that must take place.

The mental trauma from a car accident

On a deeper level than just the physical injury, the body remembers the trauma of the accident and may not be able to overcome the fear of pain.

If your body was injured by whiplash, your body may have the motion of whiplash trapped in the brain. This can cause other issues throughout your body. Thus, neural pathways (connections from the brain to the various parts of the body) may still be injured or thrown off from the accident if left unaddressed.

Chiropractors specialize in healing both physical and mental injuries

A chiropractor’s job is the read signals sent by the body and restore the body back to balance. A chiropractor can help to reveal the post-trauma from a car crash and how your brain might be sending incorrect signals to your body.

For example, if you had a car blindside you on your right side, your brain might still be sending signals of stress to that side of your body. This may lead to your right side tensing up and your muscles being tight or constantly stressed. Chiropractors are trained to spot the dysfunction in the body and they can help to unlock these mental obstacles and eventually work through exercises to restore your brain and body back to normal.

Many patients may not realize their body has not returned back to normal after an accident even if they are not in pain. Over time, if the body remains out of balance, the body can develop unhealthy postures, muscle use, and misalignments that can cause further pain and injury down the road.

Looking after yourself

If you’ve been in an accident, you should not delay treatment or seeking the help of a Tulsa car accident injury professional. Follow these tips for healing:

1. Get your body checked out immediately by a chiropractor or car accident injury specialist. Not all injuries are obvious. Some injuries are internal and may not be exposed right away due to the adrenaline from a car accident. Hurt or not, get help immediately following an accident.
2. Give yourself time to heal. Take a day or two off from work. Rest. If you were injured or experienced whiplash, your body will be extremely tired due to the mental, emotional, and physical trauma from a car accident.
3. Talk to someone about the accident. Whether it is family, a friend, or a professional, speak with someone who can help make you comfortable while talking about your experience.
4. Make sure your brain and body get back to normal. Healing does not occur overnight. Do your due diligence to get help and get examined by a Tulsa Chiropractor. See a counselor if necessary. Get the help you need.

Better late than never

Some accidents can cause pain or trauma in the body for years. Even if you haven’t seen a professional for help right after the accident, it’s never too late to get help from a chiropractor or medical professional. At Care Family Medical & Chiropractic, we specialize in traumatic injuries and car accident-related injuries. We can also refer you to Tulsa Injury Specialists and Surgeons throughout Tulsa for whatever your injuries may be.