After undergoing a personal injury, such as a car accident, there is often a major shock factor. The shock of a chaotic incident like a car crash can cause your body not to feel pain immediately. In fact, many individuals will not feel pain until one or two days afterward. However, any collision going over eight miles per hour is risky, according to Dr. Noah Marchese, Chiropractor and Owner of HealthChoice Center of Peachtree City. Such an event can leave the affected person with stiffness, headaches, dizziness or shooting pain– which should be treated sooner rather than later to avoid worsening problems. 

“Whiplash is a combination of injuries that just creates all-over pain,” says Dr. Noah Marchese. “ I kind of refer to it as an onion; it’s got a few layers and each one needs to be addressed.”

The layers Dr. Marchese refers to are the body’s muscles, ligaments, joints, and the nervous system. Often many of the structures that support the spine–and will be stretched, torn, inflamed and injured inflamed following a car accident, This will lead to pain throughout the body that could potentially last up to a lifetime.

What may appear to be a relatively minor crash can cause the body to become jolted, potentially injuring soft tissues, herniating a spinal disc or even compressing one’s spinal cord. 

A disc herniation occurs when the disc that lies between one’s vertebrae becomes misaligned outside the spine and it puts pressure on the spinal cord and the spinal nerves. This condition can lead to sciatica, numbness, or tingling down the arms or legs that can worsen the longer the condition goes untreated. 

Dr. Marchese treats these injuries frequently, conducting personalized examinations that pinpoint what parts of the body have been damaged and creating treatment plans that work to bring the body back to full mobility. 

The techniques Dr. Marchese uses in his treatment plans include decompression, soft wave therapy, chiropractic adjustments, manual and red light therapies. Dr. Marchese utilizes his protocols and will refer to additional experts like orthopedists, physical therapists and massage therapists.

“We work with many providers to help co- manage our patients who were involved in accidents; our main goal is just to get the patient feeling better and get them back to doing what they love and their daily activities,” Dr. Marchese said. 

This collaborative approach gives the patient a comprehensive plan to guide them along the road to recovery. Using these processes, Dr. Marchese has seen drastic improvements in his patients. 

“We’ve had patients that come in with total sciatica down the leg, they can barely walk,” said Dr. Marchese. “By the time our treatment’s done, they’re a hundred percent back to normal.”

These injuries can fully heal with the right treatment, but speed is important. Many will delay seeking treatment because their pain is not present or extreme right away, but waiting may cause injuries to worsen and extend recovery time. 

If you’ve recently been in an accident or are experiencing lingering pain from one, Dr. Noah Marchese encourages you to book an evaluation with him to identify any areas that may be damaged and treat them promptly. Appointments can be booked at HealthChoice in Peachtree City at 770-408-0184 or online at the HealthChoice website.