When you're in a car accident, it is always a relief to walk away relatively unscathed. But sometimes, a few days later, you realize that you have some mild, niggling back pain. It's not pronounced enough to send you to the emergency room or keep you home from work, but it is there, and it does bother you.

What should you do about this lingering, post-accident pain? Here are a few pieces of advice.

Make an appointment with a chiropractor

Call a chiropractor in your local area and schedule an appointment. Try to get in relatively soon, in the next few days. If the wait time is more than a week, then try calling a different office.

Often, in a car accident, the jolt of the crash pushes some of your vertebrae out of alignment. It may also put pressure on your intervertebral discs, causing them to herniate slightly or just become sore. A chiropractor can adjust your spine to put your vertebrae back in line and relieve pressure on any injured discs. Your back pain should ease considerably after this since misaligned vertebrae can pull on the surrounding muscles and put pressure on associated nerves.

Ice the area

As with most musculoskeletal injuries, icing your sore back can really help. The ice will cause the blood vessels and tissues in the area to contract, which will reduce the swelling. Then, when you remove the ice and the area warms up again, blood will be better able to flow into the tissues, and this will allow them to begin healing. 

Holding an ice pack against your back can be hard, but if you use a soft and flexible ice pack, you should be able to lay it down on your bed or couch, and then lie down on top of it with the sore part of your back centered over the ice pack.

Spend more time laying down

As much as possible in the next few days, at least until you are able to see the chiropractor, spend plenty of time laying down, flat on your back. This will help stretch out your spine, which will alleviate tension in your muscles. When you do get into the chiropractor's office, it will also make it easier for them to adjust your spine.

After a car crash, lingering back pain can be a real nuisance. Thankfully, with the help of a chiropractor, some ice packs, and some rest, you can get back on track. 

Call a chiropractor's office, such as Palm Beach Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, to make an appointment.

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