Rear end automobile accidents send hundreds of thousands of people to chiropractic offices each year.

People in pain, often suffering from what some refer to as whiplash injury, can have symptoms that last a long time if not treated immediately. This is the result of the head actually whipping backward then forward with an acceleration that is more than 2.5 times that of the striking vehicle.

A British research team followed 30 whiplash patients who received treatment, which consisted of rest and immobilization with a soft cervical collar. They also monitored 31 patients who iced injuries during the initial 24 hours after their accidents and then were given a regimen of chiropractic treatments.

After only 4 weeks, there was a noteworthy increase in cervical movement among those with chiropractic treatment but no increase among those with the standard therapy.

In addition, those receiving chiropractic care experienced a significant decrease in the amount of their pain after both 4 and 8 weeks.

The injuries suffered in an automobile accident may not always result in immediate pain. Ligaments and muscles may be torn while discs can be compressed. Since they have no pain fibers, it's possible that you won't feel symptoms for days, weeks or even months.

Following a whiplash type event, damaged ligaments heal with scar tissue. Scar tissue causes loss of elasticity, resulting in tightened or fixed/misaligned spinal joints and even degenerative arthritis.

A chiropractic exam after any auto accident, whether or not pain is apparent, may require a treatment program which will eliminate the suffering many victims endure years after the accident.

I am Dr. Stuart Surkosky of Care Chiropractic Center in Butler. Upon my graduation in 1993 from Palmer College of Chiropractic, I committed my professional life to offering quality care to those I would serve. As such, I am certified in whiplash and spinal trauma by the International Chiropractic Association and have special credentialing in the field of spinal and skeletal disorders by the American Chiropractic Board of Roentgenologists. I am a certified chiropractic sports physician, a position that frequently involves the study of whiplash injuries occurring in athletes.

Did you know that the Pennsylvania Insurance Commission requires auto policyholders to have a minimum of $5,000 under the first party medical benefits? Why? If you are injured in a car accident requiring medical attention, the payment of such care is your responsibility.

The insurance industry recognizes auto insurance should be the primary source of payment to the health care provider. In fact, because of the requirement, you are permitted to visit a chiropractor without a referral.

So while we usually think of car insurance as a means to restore our vehicle and its alignment following an accident, it is more important to remember that your auto insurance is also the means to restore you to your personal alignment.

At Care Chiropractic Center we use state of the art technology including the Insight 7000 spinal analysis system. In addition, X-rays measured up to a 98 percent degree of interpractitioner reliability reveal even subtle misalignment issues. Please call our office at 724-789-9797 for a free screening and discussion of your condition.