What kind of treatment will I receive at Dr Rayshell's clinic?

      One thing to remember when going to a doctor is that your treatment will be based upon what the doctor feels is medically necessary for your particular injury.  That being said, the doctors will more than likely treat neck sprain/strains very similarly from one patient to another although the patients age and previous medical condition might limit the types of treatments which can be provided.  The same would be true for other conditions as well.
     I mentioned neck sprain/strain because that is the most common injury sustained in a car wreck.  The injury might involve the spine, ligaments of the spine, muscles of the spine or all of the above.  Patients typically have neck pain; sometimes headaches and upper back pain.  There is occasionally some swelling of the surrounding tissues, muscle spasms, tenderness to touch, painful and restricted movement of the neck and sometimes there might even be numbness, burning or tingling in the neck or even in the fingers or hands.  The presentation of these symptoms varies with the patients gender, age, weight, medical condition and the nature of the accident; rear-end collision, side impact, front impact, spinning vehicle, other impacts and even airbags can cause a neck injury.
     Typically, the treatment for a neck sprain/strain is a combination of "modalities" to reduce the above mentioned symptoms.  This can involve electric muscle stimulation to help muscles relax their contracted state and hurt less.  Traction and motion through chiropractic spinal manipulation can be introduced into the neck and spine to increase motion of the joints and reduce the formation of scar tissue or adhesion's of the tissues in the joints and spine which can produce stiffness.  Of course swelling in the joints can also cause stiffness so we usually introduce patients to cryo (ice) therapies and discuss the use of anti-inflammatory medications which can be bought at the local pharmacies without a prescription.  In severe cases your doctor of chiropractic might refer you to a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy to see if you might need something more than what you might be able to get over the counter at your pharmacy or store.
      As the initial treatment proceeds we try to move our patients into a therapeutic exercise program.  This might involve simple stretches or stretches and resistance exercises performed under the direction our the doctor.  As the patients get better, the stiffness and pain decreases and they are able to function more fully without discomfort.
     When the patient has reached a point of what we refer to as maximum medical improvement, he or she will be released from care.  Usually patients are advised to continue with the exercises or stretches after they are released to help prevent relapses.  Even though a patient might have been released from care by their doctor only a few weeks or a couple of months after their accident, the complete healing process could last as much as a year or two.  During that time it is possible for the condition to "relapse" or become aggravated. If that occurs, simply call your Accident and Injury doctor and he will schedule for you to come in to be evaluated.