Category: Uncategorized

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Lingering Rib Pain

Daily chores are already a dreaded occasion by many. But for those experiencing lingering rib pain, they can be excruciatingly painful. If you are struggling with everyday activities, finding a pain-free sleeping position, or even driving, Impact Medical Group of St. Petersburg can help.

Rib pain causes discomfort in and around the ribcage in the chest area. Throughout the rib cage’s complicated structure, there are joints, cartilage, and bones that attach to the sternum and spine. When any of these areas are disrupted, pain can cause a domino effect in the chest area. Pain can be caused by many things and may show up as achy, dull, throbbing, or searing. It can be consistent or sudden. Because of its unpredictability, it is vital to seek care immediately. In some cases, the pain can be caused by inflammation of the cartilage, known as costochondritis. Other more serious conditions like osteoporosis and fibromyalgia can lead to pain in the ribcage area. Chiropractic care, physical therapy, manual, and stretching are all great techniques used by our team of professionals to alleviate rib pain.

After a full evaluation, chiropractic adjustments may be prescribed. This technique corrects alignment errors that often lead to rib pain. Adding stretches and manuals will relax tense muscles and create flexibility to support adjustments. When the chiropractor adjusts the affected joints, it relieves soft tissue strain and any trapped nerve tissues. Pain from strained or pinched tissues can then heal naturally. Once healed, you may choose to schedule periodic spinal evaluations and adjustments. These appointments can help maintain long-term alignment in the rib cage and spinal area. The chiropractor may also introduce exercises and postures to reduce bad habits like slouching or slumping, which can lead to strain.

Are you ready to address your lingering rib pain? Let Impact Medical Group of St. Petersburg create a personalized program that can finally alleviate that long-term discomfort. Visit the Impact Medical Group of St. Petersburg website for more or call us at (727) 722-8103 to speak with our team.

How Can a Chiropractor Help Treat Headaches After an Accident?

If you are suffering from migraines or chronic headaches after a car accident, getting treatment from a chiropractor is crucial. Without treatment, the severity of your headaches could increase, causing immense long-lasting pain.

These days chiropractors have become the prime choice for people who want to explore non-surgical options for pain relief. Chiropractic treatment can be amazingly effective in treating all kinds of headaches.

Learn more from our chiropractic team at Impact Medical Sun City Center.

What Causes Headaches After an Accident

There are two common causes of headaches after a car accident:

• Whiplash: This is an injury due to your head’s forward and backward movement following an accident. This movement strains the muscles in the neck and sprains the ligaments, leading to headaches.

• Blunt trauma: Blunt trauma injuries occur when you strike your head on the door, window, windshield, or headrest. The impact results in a headache and other symptoms.

• Concussions: During an accident your brain may bounce violently off the inner skull walls, resulting in a temporary injury called a concussion. Concussions are often caused by a sharp blow to the head and can cause painful headaches.

Types of Headaches

There are various kinds of headaches after an accident with varying types of discomfort or pain.

Types of headaches:

Tension Headaches

These headaches result from the tightness of the neck muscles. This tightness in your neck due to stress or injury causes other muscles to step in and become overworked, leading to tension in the neck and head, AKA a tension headache.

Cervicogenic Headache

These headaches originate from the neck. They occur due to a dysfunction in the muscles or joints in the neck. The pain manifests as a throbbing sensation that begins behind the eyes or the base of the skull.

Migraine Headache

Migraines are common after car accidents, especially if you hit your head. You may first suffer head pain that will morph into a migraine; usually a throbbing pain on one side of your head. Other migraine symptoms include vomiting, nausea, light sensitivity, and dizziness.

How Chiropractic Care Treats Car Accident Headaches

Chiropractic care is a natural and effective treatment for headaches following an accident. During your visit, our chiropractors will work on your muscles, bones, and nerves to relieve pressure, eliminating your headaches.

Often the underlying cause of headaches after a car accident is a misalignment in the spine or damage to the vertebrae in the neck or the upper back. Manual adjustment re-aligns the spinal structures and when used with other techniques, it can help improve muscle healing and function in the neck. If necessary, spinal decompression can help relieve the pressure on the discs and vertebrae.

The beauty of chiropractic care is that chiropractors treat the source of your discomfort and pain, not the symptoms.

To treat headaches your chiropractor may use:

• Chiropractic adjustments or spinal manipulations
• Manual therapy
• Lifestyle or nutritional counseling
• Corrective exercises

Many times, an accident causes extra stress on the nervous system and prevents your body from functioning normally, thus you get headaches.

Chiropractic manipulation will not only help these current headaches that you are experiencing, but it will reduce the risk of stress and tension building up and causing future headaches as well.

Sun City Center Chiropractic Care

If you want a long-term solution to headaches after an accident, consider chiropractic care. Our team at Impact Medical Sun City Center is well-equipped to help you live a pain-free life. And that doesn’t stop at headache relief, we can help treat other injuries after an accident too.

Call us at (813) 938-5195 for more information or to schedule an appointment today!

What Treatments Help with Airbag/Seat Belt Injuries?

Did you know that wearing a seat belt was mandated by the U.S. federal government in 1968? Since then, millions of lives have been saved. There’s no doubt that seat belts and airbags can be very effective in preventing accident injuries though in some cases, their use can create additional injuries. Impact Medical of Clearwater shares below what treatments can alleviate pain caused by airbags and seatbelts.

Accidents can be traumatic. At Impact Medical of Clearwater, we use a step-by-step guide to help patients with their recovery timeline. After confirming that your accident injuries are not life-threatening, schedule an evaluation with our medical team. This initial visit will review the patient’s medical history and current condition. Before treatment begins, we will go over the accident details along with the patient’s lifestyle, existing medical conditions, or additional concerns that can help doctors create a personalized treatment plan. Then, a doctor will perform a physical examination. External injuries like cuts and bruises are evaluated and treated based on the severity of the condition. Soft tissue injuries that impact muscles, tendons, or ligaments may present as strains, bruises, or tears. If other injuries are suspected to appear delayed, advanced diagnostic imaging like a CT scan or MRI may be recommended. Treatment plans may include chiropractic adjustments, manual therapy, traction, and physical therapy.

Though, any chiropractic care will depend on the root cause of your pain. For example, if the chiropractor confirmed your diagnosis as an airbag injury, treatment for shoulder pain would be a priority. The quicker that treatment begins, the better chance of restoring the body and ensuring long-term recovery. Other treatments may include using ice and heat to reduce inflammation and tension or adding a stretching routine to ease tendons and muscles around the injured area.

Our team of professionals at Impact Medical of Clearwater can help improve the overall health and happiness that your body deserves! Visit us here or call us at (727) 292-0200 to make an appointment today.

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Delay Injury Treatment After an Accident

If you’ve been in a car accident, you may wonder whether you should see a doctor if your injuries aren’t immediately apparent. Car accidents—even minor fender benders—can be physically and emotionally traumatic. In some cases, the damage doesn’t present itself until days or weeks after the incident.

Some car accident victims may brush off the situation and skip a visit to the doctor. This is a poor decision since all car accident survivors should visit their doctor right away after a collision, no matter how seemingly minor it was. Here are four reasons you shouldn’t delay injury treatment following a car accident.

1. Some Injuries Don’t Cause Pain Right Away

The rush of emotions after a collision can make it hard for those involved to think straight. Some car accident survivors experience shock that causes them to overlook their pain. Whiplash, back pain, and even minor fractures often aren’t felt until days or even weeks after the incident. If you delay making a visit to your doctor, these hidden injuries could become worse with certain motions or activities. It’s important to schedule a visit with your doctor immediately after an accident so you don’t cause future harm.

2. You May Have Internal Bleeding.

Several situations can cause internal bleeding, like tightening of the seatbelt during impact, contact with an airbag, or contact with the steering wheel. If you’re feeling dizzy or faint, or you notice bruising, swelling, or inflammation, don’t ignore these symptoms—you could be dealing with internal bleeding. A doctor can determine the extent of your injuries and treat any instances of internal bleeding, which is fatal when left untreated.

3. You May Need a Brain Scan.

Traumatic brain injuries are common in collisions where vehicles roll, flip over, or are spun, and it takes a brain scan to identify them. If you’ve hit your head in a collision, see a doctor right away since symptoms don’t always present themselves immediately. TBI can worsen over time and cause significant health problems, so seek medical attention without delay.

4. Doctors Properly Document Injuries.

Only a doctor can appropriately document injuries caused by a car accident. A full examination and diagnosis are essential components of any personal injury case, and insurance companies only accept medical information from qualified healthcare professionals. By documenting your diagnosis and treatment, you have a better chance of collecting damages in court.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately Following a Car Accident

If you’ve been in a car accident, even a minor impact can have a significant effect on your overall health. You need to make an appointment with your healthcare provider immediately since undiagnosed and untreated conditions could get worse. The team at Impact Medical Group – Sarasota can help you recover from an accident, providing expert treatment to manage pain and preserve your mobility. Call us today at (941) 222-1157 to schedule your free consultation.