Right After the Injury
We at Mission Hills Chiropractic have seen nearly everything related to injuries. Everything including, but not limited to:
People who’ve been in car accidents years ago that still suffer from back issues.
People who were injured a couple of months prior to their first physician visit for the injury.
Athletes injured on the field that see us for treatment immediately off the field.
For this 3 part post series, I’ll be diving into injuries: what to do if you’ve just been hurt, if you were hurt a couple of months ago and if you were injured over 6 months ago.
This post is what to do if you’ve just been hurt.
Let’s dive right in. Here’s my list of top 3 things to do if you (or someone you know and love) has just been injured.
1. See your physician!
Regardless of the injury, a trained professional is the right person to let you know exactly what the harm is from the accident and how to go about treating it as efficiently as possible. Otherwise, you are guessing how to recover and get better, which is a poor way to treat your body.
If you've been involved in an accident, make an appointment for a complimentary initial consultation to see if we can help you heal.
2. R.I.C.E: Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation.
Until your licensed physician has told you exactly the severity of the injury and the correct course of action in treating it, you should not make assumptions about what to do.
For example, many people right after an injury begin stretching the affected area. Now with some injuries, this might be the right thing to do or it might be exactly the wrong thing to do and make the injury worse!
Many injuries are made worse from incorrect diagnosis and incorrect rehabilitation movements.
If you are waiting to see your physician:
Rest - No stretching or pushing your body! The more at rest you can be, the better.
Ice - Apply ice to the injured area to help with swelling, bruising and blood flow.
Compression - Compression also helps with mitigating swelling & bruising.
Elevation - Elevating the injured muscle or joint helps prevent blood clotting.
Always follow the RICE method immediately after an injury.
3. Meditate.
While you are applying the R.I.C.E method and waiting for your physician visit to get a proper course of treatment, there is certainly one thing you can do to make it better.
Meditate.
Relax your mind. The more you can relax your mind, the more you can relax your body. The healing process will be that much more efficient.
If you are curious on where to start with meditation, we recommend this video.
I’d just like to offer again: if you've been involved in an accident, whether it just happen, it happened a few months ago or even longer, make an appointment for a complimentary initial consultation to see if we can help you heal.
Also, we accept all types of health insurance, including specialty Accident & Injury insurance plans. We let our patients know about these plans because they help reimburse our services after an injury and make chiropractic care more affordable - let any of us know if you are interested to learn more about these types of plans and we would be happy to help.
Stay tuned for my next post which will be what to do a couple of months after the injury has happened.
As always, feel free to meet with me any day at Mission Hills Chiropractic in Lake Forest, CA, near Mission Viejo, and I’d be happy to talk injuries, health tips and more with you :)
Dr. Nardeep Jawanda is an expert chiropractor, practicing every week in Lake Forest, California at his practice, Mission Hills Chiropractic. He is recognized as one of the the best chiropractors in Orange County.
Dr. J, along with his partners at Mission Hills Chiropractic, have a mission to help people get and stay out of pain through chiropractic adjustments and general health knowledge.
Some people say these Orange County chiropractors are the best chiropractors in Lake Forest or even the best chiropractors in Orange County! We agree with those people.
If you’re looking for the best chiropractor in Orange County or the “best chiropractor near me”, you’re looking for Dr. J.