Those first 72 hours after a car accident in Irmo can make or break your recovery. Even if you “feel fine,” hidden injuries like whiplash and back strain can show up days later. In this guide, Irmo Family Chiropractic walks you through exactly what to do after a crash, when to see an auto accident chiropractor, and how early care protects both your health and your insurance claim.
No single treatment can fix every car accident injury. That’s why at Irmo Family Chiropractic, we often pair gentle chiropractic adjustments with MLS Laser Therapy and medical massage to calm inflammation, ease muscle spasm, and restore motion. In this article, we show how these therapies fit together after an auto accident in Irmo—and when a combined plan helps you heal faster and more completely.
You’re sitting at a red light when you hear it. The screech of tires, then impact. Even a “minor” fender bender can leave you dealing with pain that doesn’t show up until days or even weeks later.
That’s where a car accident chiropractor comes in.
At Irmo Family Chiropractic, we’ve treated hundreds of auto accident injuries over our 20+ years in practice. We know that whiplash, back pain, and neck stiffness don’t always appear on X-rays, but they’re very real and they can turn into chronic problems if you don’t get the right care early on.
Here’s what most people don’t realize: adrenaline masks pain. You walk away from an accident feeling okay, maybe a little shaken up. Then three days later, you can barely turn your head.
The force of a car accident, even at low speeds, throws your spine out of alignment. Your muscles tense up to protect you, soft tissues get damaged, and inflammation sets in. Without proper treatment, these issues can develop into long-term pain that affects your daily life.
A car accident chiropractor specializes in treating these hidden injuries before they become permanent problems.
This is the big one. When your car gets hit, your head snaps forward and backward faster than your muscles can react. The result? Damaged ligaments, strained muscles, and misaligned vertebrae in your neck. Symptoms include neck pain, headaches, dizziness, and shoulder pain— all common whiplash symptoms and causes after a car accident described by major medical centers.
The impact from a car accident compresses your spine and can damage the discs between your vertebrae. You might feel immediate pain, or it might develop gradually as inflammation builds up.
Post-accident headaches often come from neck injuries or muscle tension. These aren’t “just headaches.” They’re your body telling you something’s wrong with your spine or nervous system.
If you were gripping the steering wheel during impact, the force can travel through your arms and shoulders, causing joint injuries and nerve compression.
Muscles, ligaments, and tendons throughout your body absorb the shock of an accident. These injuries cause pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility that won’t heal on their own.
Chiropractic adjustments help your body heal by reducing inflammation at the injury site. When your spine is properly aligned, blood flow improves and your body can start repairing damaged tissue more effectively.
After an accident, scar tissue forms around injured areas, limiting your movement. Chiropractic care breaks up this scar tissue and restores flexibility before stiffness becomes permanent.
Unlike pain medications that just mask symptoms, chiropractic treatment addresses the root cause of your pain. You get real healing without the risks of surgery or the side effects of long-term medication use.
Untreated car accident injuries often turn into chronic pain conditions. Starting chiropractic care early prevents these issues from developing and helps you avoid years of discomfort.
Seeing a car accident chiropractor right away creates medical documentation of your injuries. This record is crucial if you need to file an insurance claim or pursue compensation for your accident.
When you come to Irmo Family Chiropractic after a car accident, we don’t rush you through a quick adjustment and send you on your way. Here’s our approach:
Comprehensive Examination: We assess your spine, check for misalignments, test your range of motion, and identify all areas affected by the accident.
Personalized Treatment Plan: Your injuries are unique to you. We create a specific treatment plan based on what your body needs to heal, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Multiple Treatment Options: Beyond adjustments, we offer massage therapy, corrective exercises, and MLS Laser Therapy to speed up your recovery and reduce pain.
Clear Communication: We explain exactly what’s happening with your body and what we’re doing to fix it. No medical jargon, no confusion.
The answer is simple: as soon as possible.
Don’t wait to see if the pain goes away on its own. The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to treat your injuries effectively. Scar tissue forms, inflammation becomes chronic, and what could have been a few weeks of treatment turns into months or years of pain management.
Most insurance plans cover chiropractic care after car accidents, and we work with auto insurance claims to make the process as smooth as possible.
We’ve been serving the Irmo community since 2000, building our practice on honesty and integrity. When you’re dealing with the stress of a car accident, medical bills, and insurance companies, the last thing you need is a clinic that doesn’t have your back.
Our team includes experienced chiropractors who specialize in auto accident injuries, licensed massage therapists, and state-of-the-art treatment technology like MLS Laser Therapy. We take a goal-oriented approach to your care, focusing on getting you back to your normal life as quickly as possible.
We also understand that car accidents don’t happen on a convenient schedule. That’s why we offer flexible hours, including evening appointments, to work around your recovery needs.
Pain from a car accident doesn’t get better by ignoring it. Those aches and stiffness you’re feeling right now? They’re warning signs that your body needs help healing properly.
A car accident chiropractor can make the difference between a full recovery and years of chronic pain. The sooner you start treatment, the better your outcome will be.
If you’ve been in a car accident in the Irmo, Columbia, or surrounding areas, don’t wait another day. Call Irmo Family Chiropractic at (803) 732-6635 or book an appointment online. Let’s get you on the path to real healing, not just pain management.
Your body went through trauma. Give it the professional care it needs to recover completely.
Chiropractic care has always been about helping your body heal naturally. But what if there was a way to speed up that healing, reduce pain faster, and get better results without drugs or surgery?
That’s exactly what MLS Laser Therapy does.
At Irmo Family Chiropractic, we’ve added this cutting-edge technology to our treatment options because we’ve seen firsthand how it transforms patient outcomes. People who’ve been stuck in chronic pain cycles are finally getting relief. Athletes are recovering faster. Patients who were skeptical about avoiding surgery are now pain-free without ever going under the knife.
MLS Laser Therapy isn’t just another treatment option. It’s changing what’s possible in chiropractic care.
You’ve probably heard of laser therapy before. But MLS (Multiwave Locked System) Laser Therapy is in a completely different league.
Most laser treatments use a single wavelength of light that either targets pain or inflammation, but not both effectively. MLS Laser Therapy uses two synchronized wavelengths working together: one continuous wave (808 nm) and one pulsed wave (905 nm). This synchronized approach tackles pain and inflammation at the same time, delivering faster and more complete healing.
The technology has been studied for decades at European universities, and the results are backed by real science. It’s FDA-cleared, clinically proven, and has no reported side effects when used properly. These benefits line up with findings from a clinical review of low-level laser therapy for musculoskeletal pain, which shows how laser can help reduce pain and support tissue repair.
Here’s what sets it apart from older laser technologies:
Traditional Low-Level Lasers (Class 3B): These work at surface level with limited power. They take a long time to show results and often require many more treatment sessions.
High-Power Class IV Lasers: These were designed to speed things up, but they generate so much heat that they can’t safely run at full power without risking tissue damage.
MLS Laser Therapy (Class IV): The synchronized dual-wavelength system delivers maximum therapeutic benefit without the risk of overheating tissue. You get the power you need with the safety you deserve.
Chiropractic adjustments realign your spine and restore proper nerve function. MLS Laser Therapy takes that healing to the cellular level.
When your chiropractor adjusts your spine, your body starts the healing process. But inflammation, damaged tissue, and muscle tension can slow that recovery down. That’s where laser therapy steps in.
The dual wavelengths penetrate deep into your tissues, triggering a biological response that:
Reduces Inflammation: The laser decreases swelling at the injury site, which is often the main source of pain.
Increases Blood Flow: Better circulation means more oxygen and nutrients reach damaged tissues, speeding up repair.
Stimulates Cell Regeneration: The laser energy activates your cells’ natural healing processes at a molecular level, helping tissue repair itself faster.
Releases Endorphins: Your body’s natural painkillers get released during treatment, providing immediate relief.
Breaks Down Scar Tissue: Chronic injuries often involve scar tissue that limits movement. The laser helps break that down and restore flexibility.
When you combine MLS Laser Therapy with chiropractic adjustments, you’re not just masking symptoms. You’re giving your body everything it needs to heal completely and stay healthy long-term.
One of the most impressive things about MLS Laser Therapy is how many conditions it helps with. If you’re dealing with pain, chances are laser therapy can help.
Whether you’re dealing with an old injury that never fully healed or a new problem that’s keeping you from your normal activities, MLS Laser Therapy can help.
The best part about MLS Laser Therapy? It’s completely painless and requires zero downtime.
When you come in for treatment at Irmo Family Chiropractic, here’s what happens:
You’ll sit or lie down comfortably while we position the laser over the treatment area. The device emits synchronized wavelengths of light that penetrate deep into your tissues. Most people describe the sensation as a gentle, soothing warmth or mild tingling. Some don’t feel anything at all.
Sessions typically last 15 to 30 minutes depending on what we’re treating. There’s no recovery time needed. You walk out of our office and go straight back to your day.
Many patients feel some relief after just one or two sessions. But for lasting results, most people need a series of 6 to 12 treatments, usually scheduled 2 to 3 times per week. Your specific treatment plan depends on your condition, how long you’ve been dealing with it, and how your body responds.
The results compound over time. Each session builds on the last, and by the end of your treatment plan, most patients experience significant pain reduction and improved mobility.
Let’s talk about what MLS Laser Therapy doesn’t require:
No pain medications with side effects and addiction risks. No invasive procedures. No needles. No surgery. No recovery time that keeps you out of work or away from activities you enjoy.
It’s FDA-cleared, which means it’s passed rigorous safety testing. The only people who shouldn’t use it are pregnant women, those with active cancer in the treatment area, or people with certain photosensitivity conditions. For everyone else, it’s one of the safest pain relief options available.
Compare that to the alternatives. Pain medications can lead to dependency and don’t actually fix the problem. Surgery comes with risks, long recovery times, and no guarantees. Physical therapy alone can work, but it often takes much longer to see results.
MLS Laser Therapy gives you a drug-free, surgery-free path to real healing.
We’ve been serving the Irmo community since 2000, and we’ve seen how many people struggle with chronic pain. People who’ve tried everything. Physical therapy, medications, injections, you name it. They come to us frustrated and ready to give up.
That’s why we invested in MLS Laser Therapy. We wanted to offer our patients something that could actually make a difference when other treatments hadn’t worked.
The technology isn’t cheap, and not every chiropractic office offers it. But we’ve seen what it does for people. We’ve watched patients who couldn’t walk without pain start hiking again. Athletes who thought their competitive days were over get back in the game. People who were considering surgery avoid it completely.
When you combine MLS Laser Therapy with our comprehensive chiropractic care, massage therapy, and personalized treatment plans, you’re getting a level of care that addresses pain from every angle.
For too long, people dealing with chronic pain have been told their only options are to “manage” their pain with medications or risk surgery. MLS Laser Therapy proves there’s another way.
This technology represents the future of chiropractic care. It’s non-invasive, scientifically proven, and consistently delivers results that other treatments can’t match. Whether you’re dealing with an old injury, chronic pain that won’t quit, or a recent problem that’s interfering with your life, laser therapy can help.
At Irmo Family Chiropractic, we’re not just keeping up with the latest advancements in pain relief. We’re bringing them directly to our community so you don’t have to travel to bigger cities or wait months for appointments.
If you’re tired of living with pain, if medications aren’t working, or if you want to avoid surgery, it’s time to see what MLS Laser Therapy can do for you.
We’ll start with a comprehensive examination to understand exactly what’s causing your pain. Then we’ll create a personalized treatment plan that combines chiropractic care with MLS Laser Therapy to give you the best possible results.
You don’t have to settle for “managing” your pain anymore. Real healing is possible.
Call Irmo Family Chiropractic at (803) 732-6635 or book an appointment online. Let us show you why MLS Laser Therapy is changing lives right here in Irmo, SC.
Your pain-free future starts now.
Nerve tension is pain that occurs because a nerve is being compressed or stuck in its surrounding tissue which prevents it from moving within its tract like it normally does. This can happen for a variety of reasons. If a joint has been immobile for a period of time it increases the risk that a nerve can get a little stuck
Physical therapists do a lot more than just stretch or strengthen weak muscles after an injury or surgery. They are skilled at evaluating and diagnosing potential problems before they lead to more-serious injuries or disabling conditions from carpal tunnel syndrome or a frozen shoulder to chronic headaches or lower-back
Physical therapy, which became prevalent during World War I to help rehabilitate our injured service people, is a diverse allied health care practice that prevents injury and decreases pain while also promoting increased mobility, health, and wellness. Physical therapists do treat patients post injury, or accident, but also work hard to prevent injuries.
Customized physical therapy may be a useful way to ease low back pain, which affects an estimated 31 million Americans a new study says. Researchers from La Trobe University observed that ‘many patients with low-back disorders persisting beyond 6 weeks do not recover.
“In the study, 60 women with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) got surgery and 60 others were treated with manual therapies including desensitization maneuvers. Participants, who had all been dealing with carpal tunnel pain for around three years, were assessed for pain severity and functionality at three-month intervals for a year. Of the 92 percent of women the researchers followed up with at six months and after one year, both groups had experienced similar improvements.”
“The Spanish researchers were testing their theory that the pain of CTS is caused in part by sensitization of the central nervous system, or changes to the brain and spinal cord that can make people hypersensitive to pain. So in their study, they used a more unusual type of therapy, desensitization maneuvers, in which they manipulated soft tissue in the arms and hands to help “untrap” the median nerve.”