By James Franklin, F.N.P.
If you have been involved in any type of motor vehicle accident, you may or may not feel the pain from your injuries at the time of the accident. Things like cuts and broken bones are easily identified and should be treated by a medical doctor. Other types of injuries may not be visible. Pain or discomfort can develop in a day, a week, a month, a year or even longer.
When accidents happen, it usually means insurance companies are involved and time limitations will be placed on you to file a claim for both the damage to your vehicle and the care you may require for the injuries incurred.
Having treated numerous patients from all types of accidents, I can identify with the anxiety and stress an accident may cause you. I worked as a trauma/surgical intensive care nurse at a large metropolitan trauma hospital for many years and as an occupational health nurse with General Motors for seven years so I truly understand trauma and the pain caused by it.
At SpinalCare Physical Medicine, we are offering new options and improved assistance for patients who have experienced a recent auto accident injury. We provide an integrative approach using pain management, physical therapy and chiropractic care for accident victims.
In our office we evaluate auto accident victims for the need of therapeutic care due to injury. Regardless of the damages sustained to the vehicles involved, your probability of being hurt is enormous. Very often the pain does not start right away. It may take several days or weeks before you feel the first symptoms of any injury.
The symptoms of back, neck pain and headaches often occur after someone has been in an auto accident. Whiplash is a common soft tissue injury and is caused by the tremendous force absorbed by a person’s body when two cars impact each other. Symptoms can range from minor neck pain and stiffness all the way to extreme cases where there is injury to the spinal cord, fractures or dislocation.
At SpinalCare Physical Medicine, we check for muscle and ligament damage, aberrant range of motion, vertebral alignments and other joint dysfunctions. Underlying structural alignment and soft tissue damage may persist for long periods of time and progressively worsen without proper care and treatment. Long-term problems may also cause secondary issues to develop. We will also provide you with documentation on both your visible and hidden injuries so you can get compensation from the insurance companies involved.
A whiplash accident will increase the rate of arthritis 6.5 times according to current research. The insurance industry is aware of these facts and this is why it is to their benefit to have you sign a release as soon as possible. We always recommend that you see an attorney before signing anything.
We begin an auto accident injury assessment with an examination of the head, neck and body along with a personal health history. And then, take x-rays to determine what level of injury has been sustained. The goal of our doctors is to help the auto injury patient return back to their daily living activities without experiencing pain and discomfort.
However, if you have been injured, our staff will provide you with treatment options based on your condition so we can decide what is best for you. There is no obligation to anything when you come in for a free evaluation. You will, at least, know more about any injury, so there is nothing to lose.
As a multidisciplinary team, SpinalCare Physical Medicine is a leader in treating acute and chronic pain with advanced, non-surgical treatment approaches and we are specialists in assessing auto accident issues.
We want to help you maintain or reclaim your quality of life. If you feel we can help you, please call us at 317-272-4100 and we will be glad to set up an appointment that is convenient for you.
Nurse Practitioner James Franklin–James Franklin F.N.P graduated in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Indiana University. In 2002, he graduated with distinction from Indiana University’s Family Nurse Practitioner Master’s Degree program. He worked as a Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care nurse at Wishard Memorial Hospital for many years and as an occupational health nurse with General Motors for 7 years. He received medical training as a hospital corpsman in the United States Navy and has taught and served as a department head at various medical colleges. James is trained in trigger point injections, ultrasound-guided joint injections and nerve blocks. He joined SpinalCare Physical Medicine in 2012.