What causes long-term pain after a car wreck?

Of the roughly 2 million rear-end accidents in the US every year, a substantial number of men and women find themselves experiencing long-term pain and impairment. Some studies have shown that about 20% of people are still in pain a year after a crash.

Blake Chiropractic & Rehabilitation sees many accident patients in our Harrisburg office, and we oftentimes see patients who have been struggling for many years and have not been able to find help. Blake Chiropractic & Rehabilitation has great success in helping these patients.

What Causes Chronic Pain after a Crash?

During a collision, the structures of your spinal column can be stretched or torn. The damaged area becomes swollen and inflamed and transmits pain signals to the spine and brain.

Pain tells your body that something is wrong, which tells the muscle tissues in the injured area to contract to protect the area from further injury.

If the trauma isn't addressed immediately, a negative cycle develops. The injured tissues keep sending pain signals and each time, your nervous system reacts. This creates a feedback loop in your nervous system that researchers refer to as "central sensitization." Your nervous system essentially becomes hypersensitive to any kind of stimulation, causing chronic pain.

Blake Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is able to help this kind of issue, as chiropractic care is a proven way to restore your nervous system's healthy functioning. Studies show that adjustments are successful at reducing pain from car crashes and shows that chiropractic actually has positive effects on the pain centers of the brain.

If you live in Harrisburg and have been in a collision, you don't have to suffer with chronic pain. Give Blake Chiropractic & Rehabilitation a call today at (717) 657-2561 for a consultation or appointment.

• Ferrari R. A prospective study of the 1-year incidence of fibromyalgia after acute whiplash injury. Rheumatic & Musculoskeletal Disease 2015; doi:10.1136/rmdopen-2014-000007.
• Stone AM, Vicenzino B, Lim EC, Sterling M. Measures of central hyperexcitability in chronic whiplash associated disorder - A systematic review and meta-analysis. Manual Therapy 2012;18(2):111-7.