After the crash.

Even a low-speed collision can injure the neck and back, and symptoms often show up a day or two later. Unison Chiropractic has treated Gig Harbor car-accident injuries since 2005 and handles the paperwork with your auto insurance so you can focus on getting better.

Sound familiar?

Tick the ones that fit.

Not a diagnosis. Just a quick way to see whether your pain has the pattern we treat every day.

I felt fine at the scene; the stiffness arrived a day or two later.
My neck won’t turn as far as it did.
I have headaches I didn’t have before.
My shoulder or chest is sore where the seat belt crossed.
I feel foggy, dizzy or more tired than usual.
My low back aches when I sit or drive.

In a crash, the body is thrown against the seat belt and the head snaps forward and back faster than the neck muscles can react. The result is sprained ligaments, strained muscles and irritated joints that may feel fine at the scene and ache badly 48 hours later. The earlier they are checked and treated, the faster and more complete the recovery.

What it can feel like

Neck pain and stiffness (whiplash)
Headaches, especially at the base of the skull
Low back or mid-back pain
Shoulder or chest soreness along the seat belt
Dizziness, trouble concentrating or feeling foggy
Jaw pain or numbness into the arms

Common causes

Rear-end, side-impact and head-on collisions
Low-speed parking lot crashes
Motorcycle and bicycle accidents
Being a passenger, including in a rideshare

What to do after a crash

1
Get checked within a few days, even if you feel fine.
2
Open a claim with your auto insurer and write down the claim number.
3
Fill out our Personal Injury intake packet online.
4
Keep the police report, photos and any bills in one place.

How we treat it

Care follows a staged plan: calm the inflammation and protect the injured tissue in the first days, restore motion with gentle adjustments and soft-tissue care, then rebuild strength and endurance with physiotherapy. Every visit is documented so your claim shows exactly what was found and how you progressed. Concussion symptoms are referred to the right physician.

Insurance and paperwork

Washington auto policies commonly include Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which pays for reasonable medical care after a crash regardless of who was at fault. We bill PIP directly, and we work with your attorney if you have one. Bring your claim number to your first visit; if you don’t have one yet, we’ll walk you through opening a claim.

When to seek urgent care. After any crash, go to the emergency room first if you lost consciousness, have severe headache, vomiting, confusion, chest pain, trouble breathing, or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs.

How getting better usually goes

Four stops.

First visit

Answers.

You leave knowing what it is, what the plan is, how long it should take, and what it costs with your insurance.

Weeks 1–2

Relief.

Pain down, motion up. Visits are closer together while the joints learn to move again and the muscles stop guarding.

Weeks 3–6

Rebuild.

Physiotherapy makes it hold: the muscles that let you down get strong enough to carry you. The part most people skip, and the part that keeps it from coming back.

After

Your life back.

A short home routine, a check-in now and then, and the door open if it ever flares.