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Injured on Your Ski Vacation? Here’s Why You Should See a Chiropractor

It’s that time of year when Floridians want to take a break from the heat by taking a trip out to the water and cool off. While the idea of staying at a resort by the ocean and getting out onto the open sea is exciting and an adventure to look forward to, it’s best to prepare yourself for all of the possible injuries that could occur and ruin your fun time. The professionals at Impact Medical Sarasota want to prepare you for what could happen and how seeing a chiropractor can help you.

Ski Vacation Injuries

Injuries can happen before you even make it to the water. You could be so excited to get your toes wet that you’ll take a wrong step and sprain your ankle as you make your way across the beach. Collisions while skiing can lead to bent and twisted limbs or a direct impact on the body. More common are whiplash injuries since it’s easy for your head to jolt back and forth from any bump at high speeds just as though you’re in a car crash.

Symptoms to Look For

A number of things can happen when you endure an accident during your ski vacation leading to a wide range of possible symptoms that’ll need treatment sooner than later. Some symptoms include:

• Strain in the neck and shoulders
• Spinal disc damage or dislocation
• Nervous system impairment
• Torn muscle fibers and tendons
• Soreness from dislocated joints

One important thing to keep in mind is that although these symptoms can become extremely severe, they also won’t always be apparent right away. Soreness from torn muscles or minor dislocations can take anywhere from a single day to a few days to begin taking a toll on your body, and the situation will only be worse by then. To make sure there are no serious threats to your body and to be proactive in treating any issues, it’s important to see a specialist right away. An experienced chiropractor will be able to give you an accurate and detailed evaluation of what could be going on under your skin.

How Chiropractic Care Helps

There’s a chiropractic regimen for any type of physical injury to help with calming inflammation and lessening overall pain and discomfort. A chiropractor can coax your joints and spinal discs back to their original position and help restore your posture. Treating your body in this manner will also prevent any long-term ailments that could develop from neglect, such as lasting soreness that could follow you for life.

The Best Chiropractor in Sarasota

Suffered an unfortunate accident during your ski vacation? Call the professionals at Impact Medical Sarasota today at 941-222-1157 to schedule an appointment! We’ll create a personalized treatment plan to restore your body back to normal in no time. We’ll always do a thorough examination first and foremost to ensure that not a single session goes to waste. Each and every visit will bring you a step closer to a healthy body!

Should I See a Chiropractor for a Soft-Tissue Accident Injury?

Soft tissue injuries are the most common injuries that occur during car accidents. These injuries though less severe than a broken bone can be debilitating and can cause chronic pain if not addressed.

If you have been in a car accident and are feeling pain or limited mobility, you are likely suffering from a soft tissue injury.

Keep scrolling to learn more about soft tissue injuries and how our chiropractors at Impact Medical Sun City Center can help you begin to heal.

What is a Soft Tissue Injury?

A soft tissue injury occurs when damage occurs to the body’s connective tissues such as muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

The sudden force of a car accident causes damage to these connective tissues by pulling, tearing, or compressing them.

Depending on the severity of the strain or damage, soft tissue injuries can take weeks or even months to heal. Therefore, it is so important to seek medical treatment if you are suffering from one of these injuries after an accident.

Types of Soft Tissue Injuries

There are many types of soft tissue injuries. Here are some of the most common that occur during car accidents:

Whiplash

Whiplash is a common injury and can be one of the most problematic. A sudden jolt to the neck (usually a rear-end collision) at even speeds as low as 5 mph can cause whiplash. This causes an injury to the tissues that surround your neck, shoulders, and the base of the skull.

Symptoms of whiplash include:

• Stiff neck
• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Back problems
• Loss of memory or inability to concentrate

These symptoms can present themselves immediately after the accident or can take hours or days to manifest. If whiplash is left untreated, it can cause chronic problems, so if you are experiencing these symptoms, seek medical care as soon as possible.

Sprains

A sprain is caused by ligaments tearing or stretching due to trauma. The most common joint sprain is the ankle.

Symptoms of a sprain include:

• Pain
• Bruising
• Swelling
• A “pop” when the injury occurs
• Limited mobility of the joint

Strains or Muscle Tears

Also known as a pulled muscle, a strain occurs when a muscle is stretched too far and tears.

Symptoms of strains include:

• Pain or tenderness
• Swelling
• Bruising
• Redness
• Limited motion
• Muscle weakness

Contusions or Bruising

A contusion is the medical term for a bruise and is a type of hematoma or a collection of blood outside of a blood vessel. Contusions are caused by the leaking of blood into the surrounding area by injured blood vessels or capillaries.

Symptoms of contusions will vary depending on whether they are located on your skin, muscles, or bones and may include:

• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Tenderness
• Pain
• Difficulty using the affected area
• A small bump
• Discolored skin that is green, red, black, blue, or purple

How a Chiropractor Can Help You Heal

There are several ways that a chiropractor can help you heal from a soft tissue injury. These always start with an examination and necessary tests to properly diagnose your condition and the extent of the soft tissue injury.

We then will create a personalized treatment plan with your specific injuries in mind. Our first step is to reduce your pain and soreness, and then we will focus on repairing the injured tissue to restore full mobility and function to the area.

Modalities we might use include:

• Physical therapy: We will choose specific exercises to help restore strength and range of motion.
• Manual: Therapeutic manual can help loosen stiff and tense muscles and joints. Manual can increase the effectiveness of other therapies, such as chiropractic adjustments.
• Chiropractic adjustments: Treatments for whiplash and other soft tissue injuries involve gently adjusting the spine to realign the vertebrae and body tissues. This effectively takes pressure away from the injury, increasing mobility.
• Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS): This modality is used to decrease inflammation, relieve pain, and reduce muscle spasms.

When you receive chiropractic care and related treatments and follow through with the prescribed exercises at home, your recovery time will be shortened significantly.

Our chiropractors at Impact Medical Sun City Center know more about spinal alignment than a traditional doctor, which makes chiropractic care the preferred choice for healing your soft tissue injuries.

Don’t Suffer in Silence

Many people try to brush off the seriousness of a soft tissue injury after an accident without realizing that it could have a long-term impact on their health, mobility, and quality of life. Further, unresolved soft tissue injuries can lead to chronic conditions that could last a lifetime.

If you are suffering from a soft tissue injury, get started healing today with a visit to Impact Medical Sun City Center. Our chiropractic team is ready to help!

Start healing. Schedule an appointment today; 813-938-5195!

How Long Do I Have to See a Doctor Following an Accident?

After getting into a car accident in Zephyrhills, it is important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible to protect not only your wellbeing but your legal rights as well.

But you might not be aware that most insurance companies and even the state of Florida require anyone in a car accident to visit a doctor within a certain amount of time to file a claim or use their PIP benefits.

Our medical team at Impact Medical Zephyrhills explains what the PIP rule is in Florida and what to do following an accident.

Why You Should See a Doctor Right Away

No matter how severe the accident was, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible after an accident to get any injuries assessed and documented.

Also, there is a statute of limitations that you must abide by to receive your personal injury protection (PIP) benefits. Going to the doctor in the timeframe required will ensure that you are eligible for insurance reimbursement for your injuries. More on that shortly!

Accident Injuries May Not be Obvious Right Away

Some accident-related injuries can take a few days or even weeks to manifest. But this doesn’t mean you should wait to receive care! It is important to get checked over, even after a minor car accident like a fender bender.

Two common examples of injuries that can take a few days to manifest include concussions and soft tissue injuries like whiplash. If you have any of these symptoms following an accident, seek care as soon as you can as you could have a concussion:

• Difficulty concentrating
• Cloudy thinking
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• Blurry vision
• Trouble remembering new information
• Low energy
• Sleeping more or less than usual
• Balance issues

We recommend that you visit a doctor within 72 hours to be properly assessed following an accident, even if you don’t feel any soreness or have an obvious injury. We can assess less visible damage to help prevent the onset of symptoms that take time to manifest.

Florida’s PIP Rule

In Florida, you have up to 14 days from the date of the accident to see a state-approved doctor for any accident-related injuries. Failing to seek medical treatment within this timeframe could affect your rights to make a claim and get compensation for your injuries.

This 14-day rule exists for two reasons. First, waiting to get medical attention after an accident can make your injuries worse. So, the sooner you get professional medical care, the sooner you can start healing and prevent complications.

Second, proving that your injuries were caused during the accident is crucial to making your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance claim. When you receive medical care right away and it is documented, the link between your injuries and the accident is clear.

Types of Medical Services Covered By PIP

In Florida, personal injury protection (PIP) insurance is mandatory and insures drivers for medical expenses that they may have from a vehicle collision.

PIP coverage offers benefits that can be used for a variety of medical services including:

• Emergency room care
• Ambulance transportation
• X-rays
• Primary care
• Dental services
• Rehabilitative services
• Medication

Remember, seeking medical care from approved providers is an important factor in determining whether your medical treatment following an accident is covered by your PIP benefits.

Get After-Accident Treatment Today

If you are in a car accident, don’t wait. Seek medical care as soon as possible to ensure that you get the treatment that you need, and that you fall within the timeframe for your Florida PIP benefits.

Our team is here to help you recover following an accident! Schedule an appointment at Impact Medical Zephyrhills today; 813-706-5156!

Our Favorite At-Home Exercises to Supplement Chiropractic Care

Everybody loves extra credit especially when the payoff is less pain! With so many people working from home, there has never been a better time to amp up your self-care. But we know people are busy so we’ve put together four of our favorite at-home exercises that will complement your chiropractic care from Impact Medical Group Clearwater.

Shoulder Squeeze

They say sitting is the new smoking. With this simple exercise, you can find a great stretch and realign your posture.

• Start by sitting comfortably in a chair with arms relaxed by your side.
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together without raising them.
• Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and then release.
• Repeat 5 times to complete the set. Repeat through the day as necessary.

Supine Twist

Perfect exercise to ease any back pain issues. During this floor exercise, keep your arms horizontal and hold the pose for 30-60 seconds before switching sides and repeating the exercise.

• Lie flat on your back.
• Use your hands to bring your knees up to your abdomen. Then, slowly twist your knees to the right side.
• Shift your hips to the center so your hips and shoulders are aligned.
• Return knees to center and then twist knees to the left-hand side.

Neck Range of Motion

Ideally, this is a movement that should be done every hour to alleviate stiffness and encourage realignment.

• Turn your head slowly to the right.
• Gently bring back to the center and slowly to the left. Repeat each side 3 times.
• Then, gently tilt your head towards the right shoulder without lifting the shoulder up.
• Gently bring back to center and tilt to the left shoulder without lifting the shoulder up.
• Repeat twice.

Child’s Pose

A soothing spine stretch that is great for unwinding after a long day of sitting or standing.

• Begin by sitting on your knees with feet tucked under.
• Then, extend your arms in front and curl your body towards the floor.
• Ensure that your feet and hips are still while touching your forehead to the floor.
• Remain in this pose for at least a minute. Can be repeated 2-3 times daily.

Are you interested in learning more about chiropractic care? Our team at Impact Medical Group Clearwater is a progressive, multi-disciplinary medical practice dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of every patient we have the pleasure of treating. We strive to improve the overall health, happiness and well-being of our community. Give us a call at (727) 334-8470 to make an appointment today!