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

Of the roughly 2 million rear-end accidents in the United States annually, a substantial number of folks find themselves enduring long-term pain and disability. Some research shows that 1 out of 5 people are still in pain 12 months after an accident.

Dr. Lipsitz sees many auto accident patients in our Waldorf, MD location, and we often see people who have been suffering for many years and have not been able to find help. Dr. Lipsitz has great success in treating these patients.

What Causes Chronic Pain after a Crash?

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

Pain tells your nervous system that something is wrong, which tells the muscles in the damaged area to contract to protect the area from further damage.

If the damage isn't treated right away, a negative cycle develops. The damaged tissues keep sending pain signals and each time, your central nervous system reacts. This produces a feedback loop in your nervous system that experts refer to as "central sensitization." Your nervous system essentially becomes oversensitive to any kind of stimulus, leading to chronic pain.

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

If you live in Waldorf, MD and have been in a collision, you don't have to suffer with chronic pain. Give Dr. Lipsitz a call today at (301) 645-8898 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.