Seatbelt Injuries

The seatbelt is supposed to keep you safe in case of a hard stop or an accident, but seatbelts themselves can cause injuries that can be kind of difficult to deal with. This doesn't mean seatbelts are useless; on the contrary, the injuries they can cause are much less severe than what might happen due to the crash itself. It's kind of like the injuries you get from hitting an airbag -- you're spared the more serious stuff, but you still feel the effects of the airbag, literally. Seatbelt injuries can range from bruising to musculoskeletal pain, and help from a chiropractor at Beyond Medical in Altamonte Springs may be just what you need. 

Why Seatbelts Can Cause Secondary Injuries

When you are in an auto accident, or when you have to slam on the brakes in your car, you continue moving forward even though the car has stopped or been obstructed from moving. Your body has its own momentum and continues until something stops it, and in this case, that's the seatbelt. If the momentum isn't that great, then the seatbelt may just block you from moving and not do much else. For example, if you're driving at a slow speed and a squirrel runs in front of the car, and you step on the brakes hard, you're likely not going to end up with injuries from the seatbelt. The force of the seatbelt versus your momentum just isn't that great a contrast.

But if you're in an accident at higher speeds, then the seatbelt could restrain you with so much force that you sustain some injuries from the seatbelt itself.

What Can You Do About Those Injuries?

Maybe you just got a bruise -- that will heal, although it could look nasty for a while. But if you start to experience musculoskeletal pain, especially on a chronic basis, you'll want pain relief. One potential treatment is physiotherapy; another is chiropractic adjustment. If you have acute injuries, you'll need traditional treatment to heal those so you can remove the pain caused by those from the equation -- then you can see what's left, and a chiropractor can help you figure out how best to treat it.

Seatbelts Are Still Better

Again: Always wear your seatbelt. The issues they can cause are minimal compared to what a car accident can do to you. That being said, if you have some pain as a result of slamming into a seatbelt, call Beyond Medical in Altamonte Springs at (407) 261-1001 and set up an appointment.