Chiropractic Care for Car Accident Injuries Part II | Bellevue WA Chiropractor

Evaluating Whiplash-Associated Injury and Prognosis in Automobile Collisions at Active Spines Chiropractic

When you are involved in a car accident, it is very important that you follow up with your chiropractor or medical doctor for a detail check up at a timely manner. You might feel neck pain, back pain, headache, body soreness, tightness, fatigue, sleeplessness, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, changes in your daily routine, or more. You might only experience some of these symptoms or just minor changes but a thorough evaluation of your body and review the mechanism of injury will help you return to normal daily activities as soon as possible and prevent future chronic problems. [1]

Often time it is the minor problems that cause chronic issues later in life or cause more problems when you are in a second accident. Patient prognosis post motor vehicle accident (MVA) is related to age, number of days to reporting the collision, neck pain intensity, low back pain intensity, pain other than neck and back pain, headache before collision and recovery expectations. [5] Detail history taking regarding the speed of impact, types of car involved, direction of impact, driver's hand, arm, leg, body and head position, aware or unaware of impact, seat belt fastened or not, road condition, weather and more are needed to determine the mechanism of injury due to motor vehicle accident. 

Motor vehicle accidents (MVA) may result in intractable disability. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be as a potential cause. [2] Some patients experience afraid of driving on the road and gets nervous pretty easily. It is important to follow up with a medical doctor or a psychotherapist to evaluate and treat this condition. Cognitive-behavioural intervention and antidepressants may improve coping, ease fear, and reduce the impact of pain. [2] Patient should keep a detail record of their daily activities after the accident such as their sleep pattern, work, hobby, taking care of their child, and driving [3], [4]. Keeping good records of your improvement in daily activity level is a good way to monitor your progress.     

At Active Spines Chiropractic we offer Chiropractic care, massage therapy and exercise rehabilitation therapy for our patients. We also are up to date and thorough in our record keeping and documentation. With personal, detail and evidence based treatment plan we are here to assist you getting back to your healthy life. You can reach us at 425-818-0086.

1. Clapp JD1, Masci J, Bennett SA, Beck JG Eur J Pain. Physical and psychosocial functioning following motor vehicle trauma: relationships with chronic pain, posttraumatic stress, and medication use. 2010 Apr;14(4):418-25. doi: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2009.06.007. Epub 2009 Aug 11.

2. Kuch K1, Cox BJ, Evans RJ. Posttraumatic stress disorder and motor vehicle accidents: a multidisciplinary overview. Can J Psychiatry. 1996 Sep;41(7):429-34.

3. Friedland JF1, Dawson DR. Function after motor vehicle accidents: a prospective study of mild head injury and posttraumatic stress. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2001 Jul;189(7):426-34.
4. Duckworth MP1, Iezzi T. Chronic pain and posttraumatic stress symptoms in litigating motor vehicle accident victims. Clin J Pain. 2005 May-Jun;21(3):251-61.
5. Bohman T, Côté P, Boyle E, Cassidy JD, Carroll LJ, Skillgate E. Prognosis of patients with whiplash-associated disorders consulting physiotherapy: development of a predictive model for recovery.  BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2012 Dec 29;13:264. doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-13-264.

Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com 

Wobble Chair Lumbar Exercises After Auto Collision | Bellevue WA Chiropractor

Wobble Chair Lumbar Exercises Plus Chiropractic Treatment at Active Spines Chiropractic

Portable Wobble Chair

      Wobble chair lumbar mobility exercise is a very efficient and a gentle way to restore proper motion, proprioception and flexibility of your lower back region. It also warm up your spine prior to chiropractic adjustment. The motion increases lumbar disc mobility, disc hydration, nutrition delivery and waste elimination.  

After automobile collision most people will experience pain, discomfort and changes in their body, it is very important to have a spinal examination by a chiropractor to ensure proper alignment of your spine and prevent future problems. After the acute phase of treatment some gentle spine related rehabilitation exercises will be introduced. During the rehabilitation phase of your treatment we will include this therapy along with lumbar spine stretching exercises. It is quite important to retrain your muscle and keep your back mobile after auto mobile collision. After wobble exercises chiropractic adjustment will be provided to realign and balance your spine. This helps your body heal faster and better post automobile collision injuries. Studies have shown that patients show better improvement with a combination of different therapy and chiropractic adjustment.  

Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com 

Chiropractor Documentation of Care in Washington State

Below is the updated Washington State law regarding Documentation of Care for Doctor of Chiropractic:

WAC 246-808-560	Agency filings affecting this section
Documentation of care.

A doctor of chiropractic must keep complete and accurate documentation on all patients and patient encounters. This documentation is necessary to protect the health, well-being and safety of the patient.

(1) The patient record must detail the patient's clinical history, the rationale for the examination, diagnostic or analytical procedures, and treatment services provided. The diagnosis or clinical impression must be contained in the patient record, not merely recorded on billing forms or statements. Subjective health status updates, whether or not symptoms are present, must be documented for every patient encounter.

(2) Documentation for the initial record must include at a minimum:

(a) The patient's history;

(b) Subjective presentation;

(c) Examination findings or objective findings relating to the patient's presenting condition;

(d) Any diagnostic testing performed;

(e) A diagnosis or impression;

(f) Any treatment or care provided; and

(g) Plan of care.

(3) Reexaminations, being necessary to monitor the progress or update the current status of a patient, must be documented at reasonable intervals sufficient to reflect the effectiveness of the treatment. Reexaminations must also be documented whenever there is an unexpected change in the subjective or objective status of the patient. Reexamination documentation must include the subjective presentation and objective findings. This documentation shall also reflect changes in the patient's care and progress and in the treatment plan.

(4) Documentation between examinations must be recorded for every patient encounter. Documentation must sufficiently record all the services provided, as well as any changes in the patient's presentation or condition. The region(s) of all treatment and, if applicable, the specific level(s) of chiropractic adjustments must be recorded in the patient encounter documentation.

(5) Patient records must be legible, permanent, and recorded in a timely manner. Documentation that is not recorded on the date of service must designate both the date of service and the date of the chart note entry. Corrections or additions to the patient's records must be corrected by a single line drawn through the text and initialed so the original entry remains legible. In the case of computer-organized documentation, unintended entries may be identified and corrected, but must not be deleted from the record. Errors in spelling and grammar may be corrected and deleted.

(6) Correspondence relating to any referrals concerning the diagnosis or treatment of the patient must be retained in the patient record.

(7) Patient records should clearly identify the provider of services by name, initials, or signature. If the chiropractor uses a code in the documentation, a code legend must be made available upon request.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.25.0171 and chapter 18.25 RCW. WSR 10-15-084, § 246-808-560, filed 7/19/10, effective 8/19/10. Statutory Authority: Chapter 18.25 RCW. WSR 96-16-074, § 246-808-560, filed 8/6/96, effective 9/6/96.]

Active Spines Chiropractic in Bellevue WA Keeps Your Spine Active and Pain Free! You can contact Dr. Shao-Hao Cheng at 425-818-0086 or info@activespines.com