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How Car Maintenance Helps Prevent Accidents and Injuries - Charlotte NC Chiropractor

When it comes to things you need to keep maintained, you probably think of things in your home first. Systems like your plumbing or even your appliances may come to mind before anything else. However, one of the items that needs to be maintained the most likely can't fit in your house. I am speaking, of course, about your vehicle. Anything that you pay multiple thousands of dollars for should always be up kept and treated well to help it last, but it's also important to make sure you're doing the proper maintenance to help keep yourself and anyone else who rides in your car safe.

Even if you do the bare minimum by bringing your car into the mechanic every few thousand miles, it's better than doing nothing. Just a simple oil change can do so much for the life of a car, but it is always a good idea to get a tune up periodically when you have the ability as well. It can be relaxing and fulfilling to do it yourself if you can, but if you don't know how, that's just fine. As long as someone is taking care of your car's maintenance, you can expect to have it for a long time as long as you don't have a bad crash.

Bringing it into the mechanic's regularly also helps to make sure that parts such as your fluid levels or brake pads are going to be in good shape for you and anyone else who may be in your car. You never want to realize after the fact that you're low on brake fluid or that there's something wrong with your tire pressure. While it is often inconvenient to take time out of your busy schedule to sit in a shop for a few hours while things get replaced, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

If neglectful ownership of a vehicle caused your crash, call the Accident and Injury Center as soon as you can. We know how severe these injuries can be, and we also know how important it is to start recovery immediately. We will work with you to help your pain levels, but you have to give us a call so we can start working with you. Our treatment plans can turn your life around before you know what hit you. Come and see what a difference we can make!

Sleeping and Driving - Charlotte Chiropractic Blog

With the pace of life today, it can seem impossible to always be caught up on your sleep. Between work, family, and trying to find time to do things that you enjoy there hardly seem to be enough hours in the day. Add in stress or anxiety keeping you awake at night and it may seem a wonder you get any sleep at all. When these kinds of things start to catch up to you, it can be hard to resist closing your eyes for a few minutes and taking a nice nap. The issue is that you aren’t always home or in a safe space to do that when the fatigue sets in. Sometimes, you’re behind the wheel.

If you start to feel drowsy while you’re driving, the best thing that you can do is pull over in a safe space and take a short nap. Unfortunately, this isn’t always an option. It is important to do your best to be well rested overnight, but if you can’t for one reason or another making sure that you can either stay awake or get a ride with someone else is required. While things like coffee and other forms of caffeine are helpful, it may not be enough. Other tips include turning the air in your car to prevent yourself from getting too warm and comfortable and turning the radio on with the volume up so that the quiet drone of your car can’t lull you to sleep.

If you aren’t sure that you can stay awake, there are other options. You can always ask a friend for a ride or use a ride share service like Uber or Lyft to get where you need to go. You may even be able to catch a short nap while you’re waiting to get to your destination. Sleep deprivation is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to you while you’re driving so make it a priority to prevent the possibility.

If you were in a car accident because someone involved was too tired to safely be on the road, give the Accident and Injury Center a call. We are a chiropractic practice that is dedicated to helping you get back on your feet after a crash, so we know exactly how to help you regardless of how severe your injuries may be. Come in and see how much we can help you!

Distracted Driving - Charlotte NC Chiropractor

One of the leading causes of car accidents today is distracted driving. It takes less than a second with your eyes off the road to cause a crash. Even something as simple and commonplace as looking down to change the song on your radio or putting your coffee back into the cup holder as you’re going down the road can be dangerous. No matter how simple a task may seem, it does split your attention and that means that you are no longer completely focused on the road. Even if you are driving responsibly, someone else you're sharing the road with may not be. This means that you need to be able to react quickly to whatever is happening which you cannot do reliably if you are distracted.

Many states and boroughs are actively trying to crack down on anyone who is distracted while driving. This means that anyone using their phone, even hands free, may be pulled over. If you are eating while driving, you may legally be distracted enough to get a ticket. Even taking your hand off the wheel to grab a quick drink may be an offense. The main thing to remember is that it is important to always be in complete control of your vehicle at all times, and this means using both hands.

When you are driving, you are responsible for yourself and anyone else who may be in your car. You are also responsible for whoever and whatever is near you to a certain extent. Getting onto the road means that you are entering into an unwritten agreement to be careful and not purposefully cause anyone else harm. While it may seem that some people don’t care about safety or even actively try to cause damage, it is important to always follow the rules of the road in a safe manner instead of responding in kind.

Unfortunately, distracted driving does often cause accidents. This means that a lot of injuries and even deaths are caused by things like cell phones and were completely avoidable. If you were injured in a crash caused by distracted driving, call the Accident and Injury Center to set up an appointment today. We can help you with your pain and any movement problems that you have noticed that seem to have been caused by an impact. Come in and see just how much better you feel after a few sessions with us!

Car Accidents

With more than 222 million licensed drivers on the road in 2016, the United States definitely has a large group of people driving around on a daily basis. While this is wonderful in regards to connecting us to friends and family and even things like work and groceries, it can provide an issue when things go wrong. On average, it is estimated that over 37,000 people die on the U.S. roads every year due to car accidents. If you take into account the amount of people who are injured or involved in accidents, this number raises to over 2.3 million. There is no secret that driving a car is dangerous, after all we wait until a certain age and need to be licensed for a reason. While we naturally do everything we can to reduce our risk of being in a car accident, unfortunately they do still happen.

Regardless of the outcome of a car accident, they are never good. Even small fender benders can cause bruising, pain, and even things like whiplash. It also tends to hit your wallet pretty hard between the insurance rates and your medical bills. Even if there is no severe lasting damage done to your body, you will likely still be uncomfortable and in pain for a few days to a few weeks. This is in addition to the stress and fear response that many people have after they are in an accident. Having something like that happen can definitely shake you up, which is why it is so important to take care of yourself if you have been in a car crash of any severity. After all, you never know when something is going to show up after the impact.

Here at Accident & Injury Center, we are dedicated to helping all of our patients feel their best no matter what brought them through our doors. Car accidents are one of the most common causes of severe pain that we see, but there are things that we can do to help mitigate that damage. Getting a spinal adjustment and making sure everything is sitting right is important for everyone, but especially so if there has been an impact like from a car accident. The main thing is that you are able to have your full range of motion without pain. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment and see just how much of a difference we can make!