Car accidents don’t always result in immediate physical injuries. Especially if one walks away from a car wreck unscathed, they might not feel it’s necessary to see a chiropractor or any other medical specialist after an accident. But there are many compelling reasons why scheduling a visit with your chiropractor after you’ve had a traffic accident could be a good, even necessary, action to take.

Some injuries appear later

Even if you walk away from an auto accident without any obvious injuries or problems, that doesn’t mean they won’t eventually happen. You might not experience physical symptoms for a day or two—or possibly a week, or even longer.

Physical symptoms of whiplash, the injury perhaps most commonly associated with auto accidents, frequently take a little time to emerge, even an entire week. Back issues and pressure, spinal or disc injuries can also take longer to become fully noticeable and can only deepen over time.

A chiropractor is familiar with the complete range of injuries a car wreck can cause and can help diagnose and treat them even before you know they’re there.

X-rays may not show all the damage

A car accident can result in some injuries that don’t always show up on X-ray equipment. Specifically, muscle strains, and damage to tendons or ligaments, often occur without the victim feeling them in the immediate aftershock. These injuries aren’t always immediately detectable with an X-ray.

Again, these are issues that chiropractors expect, even when they’re not apparent or felt in the moments after an accident. They can proactively treat them before they become debilitating. Catching a muscle tear before it spreads can also prevent painful inflammation from occurring.

Stopping headaches and migraines

Many people take headaches for granted and don’t think they necessarily warrant anything more than a couple of aspirin or pain-relieving caplets. But if they occur after you’ve had a car accident, there’s a great chance a headache or migraine is a direct result. A chiropractor can lessen or reduce headache symptoms after a car wreck.

They can provide documentation for insurance and court cases

Visiting a chiropractor after a car accident can address more than the physical injuries you suffer. They can document the physical effects they can diagnose before the pain hits and establish them as direct results of your accident. The sooner you visit their practice, the more likely they can make that diagnosis and commit your findings to paper. This documentation is crucial to have when dealing with insurance companies and any legal proceedings that may occur.

They can refer you to an attorney

Many chiropractors work directly with attorneys who handle physical injury cases arising from car accidents. Even if you already have a personal attorney, they may not have a lot of experience with this physical injury law—and unless you’ve needed that kind of legal help before, chances are you may not have it in place at the time of your accident. Your chiropractor may be able to recommend one who they trust.