Being the victim of a traumatic traffic accident is a big deal. Depending upon the severity of the crash, the injuries suffered can range from minor to severe, or even fatal.

Many victims of severe car accidents also suffer from PTSD, brain injuries, or a range of trauma-related mental and physical disorders.

Some physical and mental if injuries will heal, but others may be more persistent. Victims of all ages even report feeling recurring pain in their joints. This begs the question, can a car accident cause arthritis?

The answer is an emphatic yes. Typically, when people think of the cause of arthritis, they associate it with old age, but your joints can become inflamed at any age if the right conditions are met. In the case of severe automobile accidents, your chances of suffering from car accident arthritis are high no matter what.

How Can a Car Accident Cause Arthritis?

First of all, humans are soft, fleshy bags of skin, muscle, and bone. Cars are thick metal machines that travel at high speeds. When they hit things, they hit hard. And your soft body doesn’t like that one bit.

It rattles you. It ripples through your bones and jerks your body in ways it should never be jerked. Imagine your body is a computer and someone dropped you on a thick marble floor. You might still work, but your system needs repairs. You can bet a few screws came loose.

When your bones and cartilage are twisted, yanked and cranked during a car crash, post-traumatic arthritis is what you get as a result. This means post-trauma of the body and the wear and tear that occurs afterward are the likely causes of arthritis in people of all ages. 

What Is Post-Traumatic Arthritis?

The keyword here is post-traumatic. The definition of arthritis, particularly post-traumatic arthritis, is the inflammation of and around the joints over time caused by a severe injury. Hence the term, post-traumatic.

Some symptoms to look out for include:

• Swelling joints
• Stiffness around the joints
• Fluid buildup around the joints
• Difficulty moving the area around the joint.

Keep in mind that post-traumatic arthritis symptoms may not be apparent until many years after the injury. It can sometimes take up to 5 years or more to notice any signs or symptoms.

The speed and severity by which the symptoms arrive can also be affected by age and weight. Trauma victims of a young age and a healthy weight are likely to dodge some of the more debilitating symptoms.

Those who are older and/or overweight/obese may be at higher risk of suffering severe chronic pain soon after the accident.

Diagnosing and Treating Post-Traumatic Arthritis

Your doctor will begin by performing a series of tests and procedures before prescribing medicine or recommending physical therapy.

X-rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs should aid in leading to a proper diagnosis.

Can a Chiropractor Help With Arthritis?

The next step in arthritis treatment is Chiropractic. You can seek out a chiropractor nearby. Chiropractic is a natural arthritis treatment that can aid in strengthening the area around the affected joints.

Chiropractors can teach you how to exercise your affected joints to alleviate your pain and make the movement around it less painful and more functional.

Keep in mind that Chiropractic can significantly reduce the pain and swelling, but it will rarely get rid of your arthritis altogether.

Are You Worried About Suffering From Post-Traumatic Arthritis?

If you were involved in a car crash, the crucial next step you must take is in consulting with a professional about your physical health and well-being.

Can a car accident cause arthritis? It sure can. Suffering any injury from a car accident is no joke, but if you’re worried about suffering from chronic physical pain, consider booking a consultation with Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness.

Our team strives to provide you with excellent care and service so you may leave feeling alive, refreshed, and ultimately, like a new you. Our services include massage therapy, neuropathy, weight-loss consulting, automobile accident consulting, and more!

Learn More About Y-Strap Decompression and Adjustment

Maybe you’ve heard about Y-Strap Decompression treatment and are curious about its possibilities? Or a friend or neighbor recommended it as a possible relief for your chronic neck pain? To the curious or the uninitiated, it may look intimidating. However, Y Strap Adjustments have been used for a number of years in chiropractic care for pain relief and front-to-back balancing of the spine.

Developed by Dr. Burl Pettibon in the early 1970s, the Y-Strap was conceived as a treatment for the entire spine, as opposed to a single segment or vertebra. Today, the Pettibon Technique is practiced in chiropractic care, along with traditional methods, for corrective posture treatment and as a way to decompress the spine or treat pinched nerves in the neck and back.

How is a Y-Strap Decompression Done?

At Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness in Seattle, WA, we use a Y-Axis traction strap to apply gentle force to stretch the neck and spine releasing pressure and opening up spaces between the vertebra.

Essentially, our practitioner positions the flexible strap around the patient’s neck cradling the head with the strap continuing over the head to a handle reaching between the top of the “Y”. Once comfortably positioned, our chiropractor then applies pressure to the Y-axis in a straight motion: slow and smooth or more assertive (called High Velocity, Low Amplitude movement), depending on the desired effect.

The Pettibone technique is unique because the movement is done straight up and down along the Y axis, where many other chiropractic manipulation techniques use some form of torque or stretching and turning motion. This straight movement is highly effective at relaxing muscles in the back, aligning the neck and spine, and creating space where compression has occurred.

Is Y-Strap Decompression Treatment Safe?

This technique is absolutely safe and has proven to be extremely beneficial when relieving pain and stiffness, but it must be done correctly by a professional. At Amazing Life, all of our chiropractors have extensive education and training ensuring that you will be treated in the safest manner possible.

While products claiming to be safe at-home remedies are available online and in stores, we strongly recommend you seek a healthcare professional to treat your neck and spine pain. That way, you can be assured of a positive outcome.

When is Y-Strap Decompression Treatment a Good Alternative?

Our clients in the Seattle area have found this type of decompression treatment very effective for those leading active lifestyles and people who suffer from sports-related injuries and overuse.

We also see patients with spine and neck compression issues from gradual wear and tear and from osteoarthritis. This becomes more prevalent in people once they reach their 50s and 60s.

Whatever the cause, you don’t need to live with pain, stiffness, and discomfort. We encourage you to have an assessment, where one of our clinicians evaluates your symptoms and recommends a treatment plan that is then fully explained. At Amazing Life, we treat each patient holistically and look at our patients through a wide lens, including:

• lifestyle challenges,
• nutrition,
• exercise plans, and
• overall well-being.

A Final Note

We provide state-of-the-art chiropractic care as a non-invasive alternative treatment option for Seattleites experiencing a full range of medical issues. Driven by results, our goal is to provide you with a lifetime of good health. We’re available to answer all of your questions about the Pettibon technique, YStrap treatment, or any other aspect of our care.

If you are in the greater Seattle community, please contact us to learn more.