What causes long-term pain after a motor vehicle accident?

Of the approximately 2 million rear-end crashes in the US every year, a substantial number of folks 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 collision.

Sweeney Chiropractic sees many accident cases in our Nashville location, and we often see patients who have been hurting for many years and have not been able to find help. Sweeney Chiropractic has great success in treating these patients.

The Cause of Chronic Pain

During a crash, the tissues of your spine can be sprained or torn. The damaged area becomes swollen and inflamed and transmits pain impulses to the spinal cord and central nervous system.

Pain tells your central nervous system that something is wrong, which tells the muscle tissues in the injured area to contract to shield the area from further harm.

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

Sweeney Chiropractic is able to help this kind of problem, as chiropractic is a proven way to restore your nervous system's healthy functioning. Studies show that chiropractic is effective at relieving pain from car crashes and shows that chiropractic in fact has positive effects on the pain centers of the brain.

If you live in Nashville and have been in a crash, you don't have to suffer with chronic pain. Give Sweeney Chiropractic a call today at (615) 331-7040 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.