A car accident occurs every 60 seconds in the United States. If you think a crash cannot happen to you because you follow traffic rules, you are wrong. Unfortunately, car accidents can happen to even the most careful drivers.
Injuries resulting from an accident can damage nerves, resulting in debilitating and excruciating pain or weakness and numbness in the hands and feet. Since we use our hands and feet for a variety of tasks, hand and foot pain from a crash can seriously impact your quality of life. Many people are unable to completely use the affected hand and foot after a car crash.
Unaddressed pain from an injury can snowball into a major health issue, affecting your ability to perform activities of daily living. Nagging pain can impact your productivity and performance and prevent you from spending quality time with the people who matter.
Dr. Toth is an accident chiropractor in Santa Rosa, and he knows that the sooner auto accident-related injuries are assessed, the sooner patients can get back to their lives.
Hand and Foot Pain Symptoms
Hand and foot pain is often characterized by a variety of symptoms:
- Excruciating pain that results in an inability to fully bend and straighten fingers
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling in fingers or wrist
- Inability to flex the affected foot
- Excruciating pain when standing
- Pain or discomfort when holding or grabbing objects
- Pain that worsens when you walk
- Swollen or inflamed toe joints
People around the world use over-the-counter medicines and prescription medicines to manage hand and foot pain. Unfortunately, many pain medications have side effects such as dizziness, nausea, sweating, and itching while also having the potential to be addictive.
Many people who are concerned about medication side effects turn to chiropractic care to manage their hand and foot pain. Chiropractic therapy is one of the most popular holistic health treatments.
Unlike many other treatment modalities that mask the symptoms of hand and foot pain, chiropractic care focuses on treating the root cause of chronic pain, rather than just treating its symptoms.
Chiropractic care is non-invasive, does not have any serious adverse effects, and may reduce your need for pain medication.
An accident chiropractor in Santa Rosa is trained to diagnose chronic pain and manipulate the body’s alignment to relieve pain and enhance the body’s natural defense mechanism. An experienced chiropractor has the skills and expertise required to create a customized treatment strategy to fit the specific care needs of a patient.
Chiropractors use their hands or specialized instruments to apply gentle pressure to misaligned joints and use physical therapy to reduce the symptoms of chronic pain.
During the initial consultation, your chiropractor will ask you to describe your symptoms. They will also ask you questions about your medical history and when pain started and how it progressed. Your chiropractor may perform a thorough physical examination and order imaging tests to get to the root cause of the problem.
Depending on the diagnosis, your chiropractor will design a treatment plan. Your treatment plan can include a variety of hands-on spinal manipulation, physical therapy, and ice and cold therapy.
Your chiropractor may recommend lifestyle changes and may also come up with dietary guidelines. They may instruct you to add certain foods to your diet to fight inflammation and help with pain.
Your chiropractor will use ice and heat or switch between hot and cold to help manage pain and inflammation. Heat boosts the flow of nutrients and blood to the affected part. Cold therapy, on the other hand, slows blood flow to the affected part, reducing swelling and pain.
Your chiropractor may also teach you exercises to gently stretch your hands and feet. Avoid overexerting yourself when performing exercises. Stop immediately and consult your chiropractor anytime you experience pain or discomfort while exercising.
How does chiropractic care treat pain? Studies show that chiropractic therapy stimulates the endocrine gland to secrete feel-good hormones such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. These hormones allow healing to take place. Chiropractic care also reduces the levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, norepinephrine, and vasopressin.
In addition to reducing pain and restoring motion, chiropractic care can prevent recurrence, helping you break the shackles of chronic pain.
How long does chiropractic treatment last? This is one of the most common questions patients ask their chiropractors.
The average person requires 18-24 adjustments over 9-14 weeks. Some people may start experiencing benefits after the first week, while in other cases, the benefits of chiropractic care might take time to kick in. How long you will be in treatment will depend on your treatment objectives and the nature and severity of pain.
Chiropractic care may shorten recovery times, helping you return to a normal life as soon as possible.
What to expect during a chiropractic session? – Your chiropractor will ask you to lie down on a chiropractic table. Once you are comfortable, the professional will start applying gentle pressure to the affected joints.
As your chiropractor uses hands-on manipulation to bring the misaligned joint back into alignment, you may hear a cracking or popping noise. These noises are caused by tiny air or bubble pockets surrounding your joints. If you feel discomfort or pain, let your chiropractor know immediately. They will adjust the pressure to suit your needs.
Toth Chiropractic is committed to helping individuals grappling with chronic pain. Dr. Toth is a renowned accident chiropractor in Santa Rosa. He uses advanced therapeutic modalities to treat chronic pain. To talk to him, call (707) 355-6535.