Delay Onset Of Pain

A delay in the onset of pain is extremely familiar, and is very well documented in the scientific literature. In addition, due to joint injuries, auto accidents can cause post traumatic osteoarthritis. For those that have been in a traumatic accident, the arthritic process often develops much more quickly (at an earlier age) than in people who have not experienced auto accident trauma. Osteoarthritis usually cause pain on a daily basis and is progressive. Over time, it can ruin your posture, limiting your pain-free range of motion, and make it difficult to participate in many physical activities. Osteoarthritis involves the discs, joint space, and other tissues of your spine and leads to progressive symptoms including chronic stiffness, pain, inability to perform simple tasks comfortably, including walking, sitting, sleeping, and/or moving the joints in your arms and legs. Even simply looking up and down can be extremely painful, or even impossible. When you injure yourself, your body will compensate for the injured area by trying to protect the region. Thus putting pressure on other parts of your body to help stabilize your spine and keep you straight as much as possible. This pressure is the tightening of the muscles opposite of the injured area, which pulls the joints of the spine out of alignment and puts painful pressure on the nerves in your spine. If not treated correctly, this frequently causes a "snowball effect" that leads to progressive musculoskeletal imbalance as well as the associated arthritic complications.

Our Mission Statement

It is our mission at Twisted Spine and Joint Center to treat every person with respect, dignity, and honesty. We pledge to deliver the best healthcare possible, which will allow us to grow in our community. We want to empower people to live a life of significance, emotionally and physically, while helping them with their healthcare and wellness needs.

FACTORS INFLUENCING INJURY TOLERANCE

FACTORS INFLUENCING INJURY TOLERANCE

What makes an accident serious?

A number of factors influence the extent and severity of injuries experienced by victims of motor vehicle accidents. The following list contains many of the most important factors influencing injury severity and prognosis:

• how long after the accident treatment was initiated
• the type of treatment received
• patient compliance to the treatment plan
• the nature of the accident (frontal, rear, side impact collision or a combination)
• severity of accident (i.e. automobile speeds)
• the size and speed of your vehicle and other vehicles involved
• whether or not seat belts were worn
• whether you were aware of the impending accident
• the height of the head rest
• the age of the individual (elderly and children more susceptible to the forces involved in MVA's)
• the size and strength of the individual - more specifically, their spinal musculature
• the presence of preexisting spinal conditions

Findings from a recent Canadian study, published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, indicate that the following patient and crash characteristics lead to a poorer prognosis:
The prognosis for recovery was poor if:

• there were additional injuries besides whiplash,
• the patient was female, elderly or had dependents,
• the crash was severe, involved a truck or bus,
• the injured party was not wearing a seat belt.

Patients who lacked full-time employment, collided with a moving vehicle, or were hit head-on or perpendicularly were also at greater risk of a poor prognosis compared with other patients. If you're in an accident give us a call at Frisco Chiropractor