We care for many people who have been injured in motor vehicle accidents in our Sacramento CA chiropractic clinic. What I have learned from my education and experience is that there can be many major consequences from injuries that may go undetected or even overlooked, even by health professionals. Some may just seem minor at first.

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Seat-belt injuries can be serious - why your HEART is at risk

One of these occasionally overlooked but serious effects of car accidents can be damage to your heart! Therefore it is vital to have your heart evaluated in all auto accident injury cases.

Seat belts are proven to save lives. Nobody should drive or ride without wearing them. They do the lion's share of the safety work by holding you in your seat in a violent motor vehicle accident. They essentially work by strapping you in tightly at your pelvis and across your chest and shoulder. This, of course, prevents you from being ejected through the windshield or hitting the dashboard of your car. Airbags can be helpful too, but sometimes cause more injury because they blast out at you at 200 mph. That's quite a punch!

Because the belt goes across your chest, rib, and sternum injuries, as well as shoulder injuries, often occur. The good thing is that these injuries are more obvious and more easily diagnosed. My experience and research over the years has shown that seat belts can also cause injuries to your heart.

Therefore, it is important to have your blood pressure and heart rate measured after a motor vehicle accident. An uneven, irregular pulse is a sign that you may have a traumatically induced cardiac dysrhythmia. These cases need further evaluation by a cardiologist, and necessary treatment should be started right away. Unfortunately, even with treatment, sometimes the dysrhythmia is permanent and something that you will deal with the rest of
your life.

If you have been injured through no fault of your own, you also deserve compensation for all your injuries,  so it is important to diagnose all of your conditions and get them into the hands of specialists that can treat them.

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Heart Injuries from Auto Accidents in Sacramento CA

An interesting study published in 2007 found that people under 50 years of age who are in car accidents have a 400% higher chance of getting some kind of heart dysrhythmia or irregular heartbeat.

People over 50 only have a 200% higher chance of having these heart problems after a car accident. That is still a lot higher and should not be missed.

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, make sure you are thoroughly evaluated by an experienced professional and that your injuries are properly diagnosed and treated. A good place to start is here in our Sacramento region chiropractic clinic.

Dr. Gregg Anderson, D.C.
Anderson Chiropractic
Sacramento CA