AUTO ACCIDENT INJURY CENTER — A Division of Mitchell Chiropractic
ACCIDENT INJURY CARE

Back Pain After a Car Accident

Lower back pain, mid-back pain, or shooting leg pain after a collision? Crash forces are a leading cause of disc injuries and sciatica. Get examined in Peoria — same-day appointments available.

What Causes Persistent Lower Back Pain? Understanding Why Adjustments Work

Why Car Accidents Injure Your Back — Even at Low Speed

When your car stops suddenly, your body doesn’t. Your seatbelt catches your torso while your spine absorbs the force of the impact — compressing discs, straining muscles, and jarring the joints that connect your vertebrae. Occupants can experience forces several times their body weight in a collision at city-street speeds.

That’s why “it was just a fender-bender” doesn’t mean your back is fine. Low-speed collisions regularly cause sprains, strains, disc bulges, and spinal misalignments that worsen without treatment.

Common Back Injuries From Collisions

  • Lumbar sprains and strains — overstretched muscles and ligaments in the lower back
  • Herniated or bulging discs — impact forces can push disc material outward, pressing on nearby nerves
  • Sciatica — radiating pain, tingling, or numbness down the leg from nerve compression
  • Facet joint injuries — the small joints of the spine become inflamed and painful
  • Spinal misalignments — vertebrae shifted out of position, restricting motion and irritating nerves

Red flags: if you have loss of bladder or bowel control, progressive leg weakness, or numbness in the groin area, go to the emergency room immediately.

Herniated & Bulging Discs

Impact forces push disc material onto nearby nerves — a leading crash injury.

Sciatica & Nerve Pain

Radiating pain, tingling, or numbness down the leg from nerve compression.

Sprains & Strains

Overstretched muscles and ligaments that worsen without guided treatment.

Back pain that won’t quit?
Same-day exams with on-site digital X-rays. We’ll find the cause — and document everything for your claim.

How We Treat Accident-Related Back Pain

After a thorough examination — including on-site digital X-rays when indicated — Dr. Mitchell designs a treatment plan for your specific injury. Depending on your case, that may include chiropractic adjustments to restore alignment and take pressure off irritated nerves, drop-table and diversified techniques, soft tissue work for muscle spasm, and progressive rehabilitation exercises to stabilize your spine as it heals.

The goal isn’t just short-term relief — it’s correcting the underlying injury so it doesn’t become the chronic back pain that follows so many untreated accident victims for years.

Your Claim Needs Documentation, Too

Back injury claims are scrutinized closely. A prompt examination creates the medical record that ties your injury to the crash, and our detailed treatment notes track your recovery visit by visit. If you’re working with an attorney, we coordinate with their office and accept treatment on a lien basis — meaning $0 out of pocket while your case is pending.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Very. Inflammation builds over 24–72 hours, and adrenaline masks pain in the meantime. Delayed-onset back pain is one of the most common patterns we see in accident patients.

It’s possible — collisions are a leading cause of disc injuries. Radiating leg pain, tingling, or numbness are classic signs. An examination with X-rays helps identify the injury; we refer out for MRI when needed.

No. Call us directly at (623) 878-8200 — accident patients are prioritized for same-day and next-day appointments.

Injured in an accident? Get seen today.

Same-day exams, on-site digital X-rays, and $0 out-of-pocket options. Call now or request an appointment online.