Do you have a few aches and pains after an auto accident? Auto injury treatment offered by your Richmond, VA, chiropractor, Dr. Scott Shaw of Shaw Chiropractic Center, offers a completely natural way to relieve your pain and stiffness.

How you benefit from chiropractic treatment

A visit to the Richmond, VA, chiropractic office for auto injury treatment can be helpful if you have:

• Whiplash: Whiplash affects about 2/3 of all people who've been in accidents, according to the American Chiropractic Association. Whiplash strains or damages ligaments, muscles or spinal discs when your neck "whips" back and forth suddenly during the accident. Chiropractic treatment reduces inflammation and pain and improves blood circulation and range of motion in your neck. Your treatment plan may include spinal manipulation (or "adjustment"), a hands-on treatment that realigns the vertebrae in your spine, easing pain.
• Muscle Spasms: Muscle spasms are particularly common after an accident and can cause days or weeks of pain. Your chiropractor may use massage, spinal manipulation and other treatments to ease spasms. In addition to reducing spasms, massage also increases the production of endorphins, your body's natural painkillers. Spasms can be due in part to the strain on muscles caused by misaligned vertebrae. When your spine is properly aligned with spinal manipulation, tight muscles and tissues will begin to loosen.
• Stiffness: Stiffness can be caused by inflamed tissues or the formation of scar tissue. Scar tissue builds up around injured areas, limiting your ability to move your body easily and without pain. Your chiropractor uses several treatments to break up scar tissue, including massage and soft tissue manipulation.

Prescription pain medication is effective in controlling pain, but the results are only temporary. Chiropractic treatments target the source of your pain rather than just treating your symptoms. Since no drugs are used, you won't have to worry about unpleasant side effects or addiction. Thanks to your chiropractic treatments, you may be able to stop taking prescription or over-the-counter medications or at least reduce the amount of the medication you must take to control your pain.

Improve your painful symptoms with auto injury treatment. Call your chiropractor in Richmond, VA, Dr. Shaw of Shaw Chiropractic Center, at (804) 741-3068 to schedule your appointment.