Suffering a car accident is a traumatic experience.

Even if you have been lucky and not suffered severe injuries, the aftermath can still be very tough to deal with. As well as dealing with paperwork, insurance claims, and car repairs, you may also find yourself dealing with unexpected pain and discomfort.

Many people suffer from hidden injuries after a car accident that may not reveal themselves until days, weeks, or even months later. And even without an injury, the trauma of the accident can lead to a whole host of problems, including headaches, neck pain, and back pain.

One of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health after a car accident is to see a chiropractor.

Here are seven reasons why:

1)  Drug-free pain management
After a car accident, you will likely be in pain, either from injuries sustained in the accident or from the whiplash effect that can cause neck and back pain. Many people turn to painkillers to help manage it, but these come with many problems and side effects, including addiction, gastrointestinal issues, and a long list of side effects. Chiropractic care provides a drug-free way to manage pain using techniques like massage therapy, spinal manipulation, and ice/heat therapy.
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2)  Non-Invasive Care
After a car accident, you may be facing the prospect of surgery to repair any injuries. However, timely and consistent chiropractic care can help to avoid the need for surgery. By realigning the spine, providing support to the injured areas, and establishing a rehabilitation plan, chiropractors can often help people heal without resorting to more invasive procedures.

3)  Whiplash and other injuries can cause stiffness and loss of range of motion in the neck and shoulders
If your injuries require immobilizing in a neck brace or sling, this can cause additional stiffness from a lack of movement in the joints and limbs. Chiropractic care can increase range of motion and reduce stiffness, making it easier to get back to your activities quicker.

4)  Improve healing time
Chiropractic techniques help remove obstacles hindering the body's ability to heal and can also reduce inflammation and promote healing.

5)  Lower stress levels
The physical and emotional trauma of a car accident can take a toll on your body, and one of the ways this manifests is in increased levels of stress hormones like cortisol. These hormones can interfere with the healing process, so finding ways to lower them is important. Chiropractic care can help lower stress levels and hormones to promote relaxation and make healing easier.

6)  Uncover and treat hidden trauma
Even if you don't feel like you were seriously injured in a car accident, it's still possible to have hidden trauma that could lead to problems down the road. You might have soft tissue damage or a misalignment in your spine that's not causing problems now but could do so later. You can uncover these hidden injuries by getting chiropractic care after a car accident and starting treatment immediately to ensure your condition doesn’t worsen.

7)  Prevent future problems
One of the most healing things you can do after a car accident is to get chiropractic care to prevent future problems. The injuries sustained in a car accident can lead to long-term problems if they're not treated properly. By getting chiropractic care, you can ensure your spine is aligned correctly when you recover. This can help avoid further injury and pain down the road.


If you have been in a car accident, don't wait to get help. Contact a chiropractor as soon as possible to start on the road to recovery. They will also be able to help you document any injuries for an insurance claim or personal injury case if needed.

Contact Pure Health and Wellness today to book your first session if you've suffered a car accident or are struggling with pain management.
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As your local Naperville chiropractor, we offer free, no-obligation initial consultations with a highly experienced team member. They'll work with you to review your history and current condition and develop a treatment plan tailored specifically for you.

Nobody enjoys being in pain, but it can be challenging to determine the best course of action to reduce the amount of pain you’re experiencing. You may visit specialty pain doctors, acupuncturists, and homeopathic doctors and still find no relief for your pain.

Millions of people have benefited from chiropractic care to reduce pain and increase bodily function in daily life. There are 3 specific kinds of pain that chiropractors can help manage.

The 3 Kinds of Pain a Chiropractor Can Solve

If you’re consistently dealing with any, or all, of these three kinds of pain – it’s time to visit a chiropractor. Regular spinal manipulation can not only address these painful problems but can also help to improve your physical function as a whole.

1.      Recurring Headaches

Are you struggling with constant headaches? If you have more days with headaches in a month than you do without, a chiropractor is likely to be able to help relieve your symptoms. Even if you find your headaches only reoccur in specific situations, like when you’ve been working too many hours at your desk, you’ll still benefit from chiropractic care.

Headaches can be caused by many different things, including stress, dehydration, postural issues, etc. A licensed chiropractor can adjust the alignment of your neck and spine to improve the blood flow to your brain, reducing the pain you experience from headaches and potentially reducing the overall number of headaches you experience.
If you take medications for headaches consistently with no relief, it’s time to visit a chiropractor.

2.      Muscle pain

The most common reason people visit a licensed chiropractor is due to chronic back or neck pain. With how many hours we spend sitting at a desk, working on a computer screen, bad sleeping postures, or looking at our phones, it’s no wonder our muscles tend to get sore. Staying in a static position for long periods can cause stress on muscles and joints, leading to consistent pain that can feel hard to solve.

When you visit a chiropractor, you can address these issues with ease. The primary function of a chiropractor is to revert your body to its optimal state. This is done through joint and spinal manipulations, which promote blood flow and better nerve conduction throughout your body.

The results? As you continue through life, there will be less painful for you and less vulnerability for your spine. A chiropractor can teach you how to address posture issues, small stretches, exercises, and other tips and tricks that will make you stronger and allow you to keep moving pain-free for as long as possible.


3.      Pain from injury

If you’ve been in an accident from working out at the gym or suffered an injury from playing a sport, you may experience chronic pain. A chiropractor can help reduce the pain you’re experiencing.

When an injury or accident occurs, the pain can often come from a pinched nerve or a slipped disc. These injuries can be managed with chiropractic adjustments, and the pain can be soothed over time.

If you have lingering pain from an injury or accident that you thought was already addressed, make an appointment with a local chiropractor today.

Conclusion
When you’re experiencing pain, your body tries to tell you something. Paying attention to that message and addressing it adequately is the easiest way to prevent that pain from becoming a significant and life-long medical issue.
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If you’re looking for a chiropractor in the Naperville area, Dr. Justin would be happy to help you! Give Pure Health and Wellness a call today at 630-435-0100. We can’t wait to get you feeling better.

Frozen shoulder is an uncomfortable and painful condition of the shoulder joint that causes arm and shoulder mobility loss. Patients often experience problems rotating the joint or reaching back. Frozen shoulder symptoms include stiffness and aches or dull pain in the muscles and surrounding shoulder area.

What is a Frozen Shoulder?

​Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis is an uncomfortable condition that causes stiffness and pain in the shoulder. It leads to losing the range of motion in the joint—inflammation of the capsule tissue surrounding the joint causes the ailment. The pain and stiffness will only lead to more frozen shoulder pain and stiffness. There are a few stages to the frozen shoulder:
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• The freezing stage - A gradual increase in stiffness and pain
• The frozen stage - The shoulder remains stiff, but pain may begin to decrease
• The thawing phase - The pain continues to decline, and joint movement slowly improves

​Symptoms of the condition begin slowly but worsen over time, making your shoulder feel frozen in place. The ailment often begins after suffering trauma or periods of immobility. Trauma includes surgery, strokes, and anything that prevents you from moving your arm and rotating your shoulder for an extended period.
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Frozen Shoulder Do's and Don'ts
There are things you should and should not do when you are suffering from a frozen shoulder:

The Do's

• See a physician or your chiropractor for a diagnosis
• Mobility exercises and ensures the joint gets regular movement
• Apply ice packs and heating pads, and take over-the-counter pain relievers to ease the pain
• Research all available options for prevention and relief of frozen shoulder

The Don'ts

• Stop moving the arm with a frozen shoulder as less movement will worsen the condition.
• Refrain from irritating the joint with heavy lifting or sudden movements

​There are regular movements and physical therapy exercises you can do at home that will help restore mobility and ease the pain of a frozen shoulder.

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Three Things You Can do at Home to Ease Symptoms of Frozen Shoulder

Chiropractors advise those with frozen shoulders to do physical therapy exercises at home to loosen the joint. You can take steps to treat a frozen shoulder at home that will help ease symptoms and regain mobility. If you experience any pain while doing these exercises, do not continue and consult your doctor.

1)  Make Time for Regular Stretching Exercises
Warm up before beginning a stretching and exercise routine by applying a heating pad for 15 minutes or taking a hot shower. Some examples include:

• Towel stretches
• Cross-body reach
• Outward and inward rotation stretches

Stretching exercises should stretch the joint to the point of tension but never until it is painful.

2)  Do Low Impact Exercises: Physical Therapy Exercises, Swimming, Yoga
In the beginning stages of the frozen shoulder, movements and exercises should be slow to avoid pain. As it improves, you can increase movements and repetitions over time. Improvement of frozen shoulder symptoms takes patience and persistence. Regular low-impact exercises such as physical therapy, swimming, and yoga are beneficial in easing pain and stiffness.

3)  Massage Your Shoulder
There are simple massages you can perform at home to provide pain relief and encourage thawing. Using the opposite hand, massage the shoulder the condition is affecting and focus on sensitive areas. Slowly and gently move the arm with the frozen shoulder while you massage.

Schedule an Appointment With Dr. Justin at Pure Health and Wellness Today

The pain and stiffness of a frozen shoulder can impact your life and make simple tasks feel unbearable. Fortunately, there are options to treat the condition at home by stretching and exercising the arm. Medical treatment options are also available if your symptoms are intense or don't improve over time. Dr. Justin Pure at Health and Wellness will work with you to find the right solution and provide relief to the symptoms. Call today for more information or to schedule an appointment.

What's a Pinched Nerve?
As the word “pinched” suggests, a pinched nerve refers to surrounding tissue applying too much pressure to a nerve, causing pain, numbness, muscle weakness, or “pins and needles” sensations like tingling.

Your nerves are made up of a complex network of long, thin fibers that form a circuit. This circuit instantly sends signals from one cell to another or from one part of your body to another. For example, if one of the soft discs between the bones of your lower spine slips out of place, the bone or cartilage around the nerves will pinch or squeeze them. This “squeeze” sends a message that may feel like a sharp pain going down your leg. The central nervous system is where this happens.

Other tissues in your peripheral nervous system, such as swollen tendons or ligaments, can pinch nerves in your hands or feet, causing painful conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome or bone spurs.
How long does nerve pain last?

That depends. Nerves typically radiate painlessly from your brain and spinal cord in special pathways. Sometimes a nerve is only pinched for a short time. Once it's relieved, the nerve returns to normal.
Am I at risk for pinched nerves?
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It depends. For example, if you are diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which causes inflammation, your nerves can be compressed, especially in joints like your knees or hips. Osteoarthritis can cause bone spurs which stiffen your spine and narrow the space where your nerves travel, pinching them and causing pain. Injuries, stress, diabetes, and obesity are other factors.

5 Ways to Relieve Pinched Nerve Pain:

1.     Rest, Adjust and Sit Up Straight!
Pinched nerve pain, like other muscle pain, can go away after your body has enough time to rest. If a nerve is pinched because a bone misaligns, you may need to adjust your body position to relieve pressure on that nerve. Poor posture is a major cause of pinched nerves. Straighten your back when sitting or switching to a standing workstation.

2.     See a Chiropractor.
Professional chiropractors, in general, have a thorough understanding of your nerves and joints, allowing them to relieve pain from tension and pressure points in your body without the use of invasive procedures.

3.     Consider a Holistic Pain Management specialist.
Holistic providers can employ non-steroidal, plant-based treatments for immediate pain relief from acute and chronic pain conditions.

4.     Visit an Orthopedic Specialist.
Consult a doctor if severe ongoing nerve pain persists.

5.     Get Regular Physical Exams.
Make it a habit to get an annual physical every year. As your life and body circumstances change, your family doctor can monitor, diagnose, and treat them or refer you to specialists who can. Don't just put up with nerve pain.

What if I have Chronic Nerve Pain?
Chronic nerve pain can be a debilitating condition that disrupts your life. It can make working, going out, and even sleeping difficult.

Dr. Justin at Pure Health and Wellness offers comprehensive treatment for chronic nerve pain with the best in natural medicine. He’s been able to help their patients get back on their feet with a range of exercises to fit each patient's need and help with recovery from injuries or health ailments.
You can find more information about Pure Health and Wellness here.