Causes of Chronic Pain after Car Crashes

Of the over 2 million rear-end crashes in the US every year, a substantial number of men and women find themselves experiencing long-term pain and impairment. Some research shows that 18% of people are still in pain a year after a crash.

Dr. Holcombe sees many accident cases in our Arlington, VA location, and we oftentimes see individuals who have been struggling for many years and have not been able to find relief. Dr. Holcombe has great success in treating these patients.

The Roots of Chronic Pain

During an accident, the tissues of your neck and back can be sprained or torn. The injured area becomes swollen and inflamed and transmits pain signals to the spine and central nervous system.

Pain tells your central 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 trauma isn't managed immediately, a negative cycle develops. The injured tissues keep sending pain signals and each time, your central nervous system reacts. This creates a feedback loop in your nervous system that researchers refer to as "central sensitization." Your nervous system literally becomes oversensitive to any kind of stimulus, leading to chronic pain.

Dr. Holcombe is able to help this kind of issue, as chiropractic care is a proven way to restore the nervous system's healthy functioning. Research shows that adjustments are 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 Arlington, VA and have been in a crash, you don't have to suffer with chronic pain. Give Dr. Holcombe a call today at (703) 933-9000 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.