accidents

Auto Injury Q&A. Answers to Questions Every Accident Victim Should be Asking

April 7, 2015 oblanderchiropractic

Being involved in a car accident is a traumatic and potentially life-altering experience. However, dealing with auto accident injuries afterward can often be even more difficult. Many people who have experienced an auto accident have questions about what the future holds. Here are answers to a few commonly-asked auto injury questions.

What Should I do Immediately After a Car Accident?

If you are in an auto accident, your first priority should be to care for your health and for the health and safety of the people around you. Check to see if you or any of your passengers have sustained any injuries that clearly require immediate medical attention. If so, call an ambulance right away. If you are able, move your car to the shoulder of the road so that it does not impede traffic or endanger others. Then, call the police to file an accident report. Right now is not the time to worry about who caused the accident. Instead, focus on getting the help you need and avoiding any further injuries.

What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accident Injuries?

Injuries from car accidents most commonly stem from rapid acceleration, deceleration and impacts—either from your body slamming into a part of your vehicle or from being hit by an unsecured piece of cargo. If your head is impacted by another object, you could suffer a traumatic brain injury. Facial injuries due to impact with steering wheels, dashboards, and airbags are also common. Finally, the sudden motion caused by a rear impact can cause neck injuries, including the infamous “whiplash.”

Should I See a Doctor Even if I feel Fine?

Yes, absolutely! In many cases, the injuries sustained during a car accident are not immediately apparent. Musculoskeletal injuries to the neck, back, hips and shoulders might not show any symptoms until days, weeks or even months after the initial trauma. Therefore, it is important to seek a medical evaluation immediately after your accident even if you do not feel seriously hurt at that moment.

Who is Responsible for Paying My Medical Bills?

The short answer is “It depends.” In a perfect world, your insurance company would cover your medical bills without any hassle. However, it is very important to understand your policy and to follow the process your company has in place for documenting and submitting claims so that you can receive the proper care and be sure that it will be paid for. In some situations—for instance, when your motor vehicle accident occurs while you’re driving for an employer or when your accident results in legal action—others may ultimately be responsible for paying for your medical care. No matter what the situation is, it’s critical that your healthcare providers know how to work effectively with insurance companies and attorneys to help insulate you from the financial and administrative consequences of auto accidents so that you can focus on your recovery.

What Happens if I Don’t Seek Medical Care?

If you walk away from a car accident and choose not to seek medical care, you are gambling with your health. You might be just fine, but then again you might also suffer from serious, lasting injuries. The simple truth is that your recovery will be faster and more complete if problems are diagnosed and treated early. We know this both from research and from long experience. Your health is too important to leave up to chance, so we’ll say it again: please seek medical attention after an accident, even if you feel you don’t need to.

If you are suffering from chronic neck or back pain due to an auto accident (even one that happened some time ago), there are ways to help relieve your symptoms and restore your function. Call or visit our office to learn more. We’re here to help!

Health and Safety Tips for Construction Workers

June 13, 2013 oblanderchiropractic

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there were 721 fatal accidents on construction sites in 2011, accounting for 17.5% of all worker fatalities that year. The leading causes of death to workers on construction sites were falls, electrocution, being struck by an object and becoming trapped. OSHA estimates that by eliminating these four primary causes, approximately 400 lives would be saved every year. And it’s not just worksite accidents that can be dangerous to construction workers’ health-bad ergonomics and exposure to toxic materials can also pose risks. Following are some health tips for construction workers to help avoid these hazards.

To reduce falls from scaffolds, ladders and roofs:

* Be sure you are trained in the proper use of all equipment and ensure that equipment is thoroughly inspected before each shift.
* Check that the weight placed on ladders and scaffolding does not exceed the recommended limits.
* Do not step or sit on a skylight if you are working on a roof, as there is a chance that it may not bear your weight.
* Check for unsecure shingles or roof tiles that can cause you to lose your footing.
* Placing safety netting below any roof openings can save someone’s life in the event of a fall.

To avoid electrocution:

* Be sure to turn off the power before working on any electrical equipment.
* Wear insulated rubber gloves and boots when working in wet or damp conditions.
* All electrical cords should have grounding plugs and any frayed cords should be replaced.
* Ensure that equipment such as ladders and scaffolds never come within 10 feet of electrical power lines.

To avoid toxic materials:

* Wear protective equipment when working on sites that may contain lead paint. Bridges, tunnels and elevated highways were all commonly painted with lead-based materials. Have your blood tested periodically to ensure that levels of lead in your blood are within normal range.
* Wear a face mask to keep from breathing in toxic fumes when working with tar or asphalt to reduce skin, eye and respiratory irritation.
* When working around stonecutting, paint, lacquer or asbestos you should wear a respirator.

To avoid ergonomic injuries:

* When lifting, be sure to bend your knees and keep your hips and shoulders aligned. Do not round your back or twist when lifting, as it may cause a back injury.
* Make sure your tool belt is balanced. Extra weight on one side of the belt can pull your body out of alignment, increasing the risk of injury.
* Sit on a sturdy stool when working at lower levels rather than kneeling or squatting.
* Choose ergonomic tools that are light and properly balanced
* Keep your wrists in a neutral position when working rather than having them flexed forward or backward. This will help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

Why Do Infants and Children Need Chiropractic Treatment?

May 16, 2012 oblanderchiropractic

There are several events in my life that I wish I had done a better job of recording or saving for posterity. One such event that continues to stand out in my mind is my granddaughter’s runny nose. You may think that sounds funny but there is a reason that I wish I had done a better job of recording her runny nose.

You see…when this granddaughter was infant and toddler aged she had a runny nose that literally made my granddaughter a proverbial “snot nosed kid”. Excuse the grossness but the snot at times literally bubbled out of her nose. When she fell asleep – the congestion caused her to sound like a little old man. Keeping the snot wiped away from her nose could have employed a person full time.

Unfortunately, we did not live close to this sweet little girl when she was experiencing these problems. Trips to the doctor confirmed that she was not experiencing any allergies. However, I can tell you what made all the difference in the world was chiropractic adjustments. The few times that my husband was able to adjust her was like watching a miracle in action.

We would let her fall asleep (we knew she was sound asleep as soon as she started sounding like a little old man snoring) and then my husband would adjust her. It was something like this to start with….kkkkkzzzzzzugh…kkkkzzzzzzugh (you know the kind of horrible snoring sounds that make you think you need to wake the person so they can actually get some air into their lungs)…then the sound changed to…uuuuuzh….uuuuuzh (snoring but only ever so slightly)….then to deep full breathing without any snoring or obstruction. The whole transformation taking only a couple of minutes.

Yup…if I had been smart enough to record her breathing transformation – it could have been a YouTube hit video just because of how amazing the transformation was.

When infants are born…standard birthing procedures almost always guarantee that the infant’s head will be twisted to help move the shoulders out of the birthing canal. 80% of infants checked during the first few months of life had subluxations directly related to birth trauma. The most common ailment caused by the birthing process is infant colic – which not surprisingly is very successfully treated in almost all circumstances by chiropractic adjustments.

We had another granddaughter that initially experienced colic related to the birthing process. Not only was she fussy…she hurled a large portion of her mother’s milk consistently after nursing. After just two chiropractic adjustments, her colic and hurling tendencies were vanished.

The birthing process and then all of the regular experiences of childhood make infants and children ideal candidates for chiropractic treatment. The whole process of learning to move, crawl, walk and run – with all of the bumps and bangs and falls that come with their learning progression are a big reason why.

Chiropractic adjustments in children can remedy colic, allergies, bed wetting, ear infections, sinus problems, ADD/ADHD, and scoliosis just to name a few.

By the way, if you have a child that has a nose congestion issue like my granddaughter had and you can bring her to our office, give our office a call – I would love to video tape the difference that an adjustment will make! Yours in Health!

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