Question
I was rear-ended 11/02/07. The car behind hit me, and a car hit the car behind me. I felt two impacts. I went to the doctor was sent to physical therapy. Unable to pay the $500.00 deductible, I went as best I could. I have been three times. I am experiencing spasms and tingling down my right breast bone now. The tingling was going down my right arm, but has changed. My doctor said if the pt did not help I should go to a specialist. The pain is pretty bad, I cannot take off work. The insurance repaired my car and will not pay for my bill until its over. Should I see a chiropractor? I had great experience with one when a doctor recommended back surgery or shots at 100.00 each. I am 64, and I was looking over my right shoulder when the impact happened. I am an elementary school teacher.

Answer
Dear Bobbie,

I would recommend that you seek out the care of a qualified chiropractic physician to manage your injuries, but only if they do in office rehab as well.  Rear impact vectored collisions can cause a discernable amount of damage to the ligaments, disk and cartilage along the joint spaces, as well as damage the nerve roots.  The fact that you were looking over your shoulder when the impact occurred has been shown to carry a worse prognosis for recovery as well as the fact that you are past middle age.  I would recommend that you ask the chiropractor about their individual training, and make sure that they have attended post graduate level coursework on vehicle injuries and whiplash mechanisms...ask for proof!  Better yet check out www.srisd.com for more information, you can look up qualified doctors in your state there too.

I would also make sure that you contact an attorney for representation so that the insurance company does not take advantage of you...they could care less if your are hurt or not and only care about their bottom line.  The only reason they will not cover your bills until the treatment has been rendered is because they know that many people cannot afford treatment on their own, therefore they will just not go, and this lowers the insurance companies end financial responsibility.  Make sure that you interview a few of them and only ones that are solely personal injury attorneys.

I have an abundance of extra literature on rear impact vectored collisions, mechanism of injury, treatment protocols, and proper documentation of research that refutes the inability to be injured (usually propaganda disseminated by the insurance companies), and I would be more than happy to send it to you.  Just send a request to my office e-mail (off my website) and I will make sure that you get it.

Hope everything works out for you Bobbie.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net