Acupuncture after a car accident is a treatment for the soft tissue injuries a crash leaves behind, such as whiplash, back strain and headaches. Very thin needles are placed in and around the injured area to ease pain and loosen tight muscles. Acupuncture does not replace a medical exam. Most patients use it alongside care from a physician, chiropractor or physical therapist.
Why the pain often starts later
A collision snaps the head and spine forward and back faster than your muscles can brace. The sudden motion strains the muscles and ligaments of the neck and back. Many people feel fine at the scene. Stiffness and pain usually build over the next day or two as the injured tissue swells and the muscles around it tighten to protect it.
Common symptoms after a crash include:
- neck pain and stiffness, often called whiplash
- low back or mid back pain
- headaches that start at the base of the skull
- shoulder and chest soreness where the seat belt held you
- aching or tingling that travels into an arm or leg
Nature Acupuncture & Herbs
Ready to feel better?
Our practitioners are accepting new patients at all three Los Angeles locations.
See a doctor first
Some crash injuries need emergency care. Go to an emergency room if you have numbness or weakness in your arms or legs, a severe or worsening headache, confusion, repeated vomiting or loss of bladder control. A physician can check for fractures, concussion and nerve damage. Acupuncture is a good option once those have been ruled out.
How acupuncture helps
After an accident the muscles around an injured neck or back often go into spasm. Needling those muscles helps them release. Acupuncture also prompts the body to release its own pain relieving chemicals, which can bring pain down enough for you to move and stretch again. Treatment for crash injuries often adds electroacupuncture, cupping or heat.
The research is strongest for neck and back pain that has lasted for months. A 2016 Cochrane review found moderate quality evidence that acupuncture relieved chronic neck pain better than sham treatment in the short term. Studies on fresh whiplash injuries are fewer and smaller, so the evidence there is less certain. Most people recover from whiplash within a few months. A sizable number still have pain a year later, and that is where acupuncture has the most support.
What treatment looks like
The first visit starts with questions about the accident, your symptoms and any imaging or medical records you have. The acupuncturist checks how far you can turn and bend and where the muscles are tight. A session usually lasts between 30 minutes and an hour. Patients with recent injuries often come once or twice a week at first, then less often as the pain improves.
Regular visits matter. Long gaps can slow recovery. They can also hurt an injury claim, because insurers often question pain that went untreated for weeks.
Car Accident Acupuncture on a Personal Injury Lien
At Nature Acupuncture & Herbs, we understand that dealing with injuries after a car accident can be stressful. That's why we accept personal injury lien cases, allowing eligible patients to receive acupuncture treatment without paying upfront.
If you're working with a personal injury attorney, we can coordinate directly with their office, provide treatment documentation, and arrange for payment from your settlement when your case is resolved.
Our goal is to make the treatment process as simple and convenient as possible so you can focus on your recovery.
Car accident treatment at Nature Acupuncture
Nature Acupuncture & Herbs treats car accident injuries at our clinics in Hawthorne, Lynwood and West LA. We accept personal injury lien cases and work with your attorney on the paperwork. We can also check your health insurance benefits before your first visit. Book online or call (424) 317-0014.
Nature Acupuncture & Herbs
Ready to feel better?
Our practitioners are accepting new patients at all three Los Angeles locations.
