Sore since the crash? Let’s look for what’s behind it.
Trusted, personal care in neighborhood clinics throughout Greater Milwaukee.
Car accident injuries are the strains, sprains, and other injuries your body takes from the force of a crash. In a fraction of a second, your body is thrown forward, back, or sideways. Seat belts and airbags save lives, but your neck, back, and joints still absorb that force.
Neck sprains and strains are the most common injury among car occupants treated in U.S. emergency rooms.4 Back pain, headaches, and shoulder pain are common too.
Even a low-speed crash can leave you sore. The good news is that most of these injuries are muscle and joint problems that can be checked and cared for close to home.
Most crash injuries affect the neck, back, and joints. A few need a hospital first. Use this guide to know where to start.
Not sure? Start with your doctor or urgent care. Once a medical provider has cleared you, we’re here for the pain and stiffness that often linger.
| Injury | What you may notice | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Whiplash (neck strain) | Neck pain and stiffness, trouble turning your head, headaches at the base of your skull | Whiplash care |
| Lower back pain | Aching or stiffness, pain when you sit, bend, or get out of the car | Lower back pain care |
| Mid and upper back pain | Tightness between your shoulder blades or across your upper back | A chiropractic exam |
| Shoulder pain | Soreness where the seat belt crossed, or pain when you lift your arm | Shoulder pain care |
| Headaches | Headaches that start in your neck and spread toward your forehead | Headache care. If you hit your head, see a medical provider first |
| Pinched nerve | Pain, tingling, or numbness that travels into an arm or leg | Pinched nerve care. Get checked soon. Weakness needs care right away |
| Knee and hip pain | Pain from hitting the dashboard or bracing for the crash | Knee and hip care, after a medical provider rules out a fracture |
| Concussion | Headache, confusion, dizziness, nausea, or trouble focusing, sometimes days later | A medical provider first6 |
| Chest or belly injury | Pain or bruising across your chest or belly from the seat belt | The emergency room, right away |
Turning your head to check a blind spot hurts or feels blocked.
An ache or stiffness in your lower or mid back, often worse when you sit.
Often starting at the base of your skull. Worsening headaches need medical care.
Soreness where the seat belt crossed, or pain lifting your arm.
Muscles tighten to guard the area that took the force.
In an arm, hand, or leg. Mention it to your doctor right away.
Lightheadedness or feeling off balance after the crash.
Feeling foggy or forgetful can be a sign of a concussion.
Pain makes it hard to get comfortable at night.
Stiffness and soreness that start a day or two after the crash.
Neck pain that started a day or two after the crash? Read about delayed neck pain after a car accident.
Some crash injuries need a hospital, not a chiropractic clinic. Watch for these signs in the first few days, too, not just at the scene.6
Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have:
See a medical provider promptly if your pain:
A crash is stressful, and it’s easy to forget something. These steps help you protect your health and keep track of what happened.
Move to a safe spot if you can. Don’t wait out serious pain.
Head hits, confusion, chest or belly pain, and weakness need the emergency room.
Get a copy of the crash report and write down your claim number.
Note small aches too. Pain that starts later is easy to forget.
Even if you feel fine. An exam can find what the crash strained.
Crash report, claim number, visit notes, and receipts, all in one place.
Our team can check your benefits before your visit.
You can see a chiropractor whether or not you have an attorney. This page isn’t legal advice. For questions about a claim, talk with your insurer or an attorney.
Wisconsin had 127,551 reported crashes in 2024. More than 24,000 of them injured someone.1
Commutes on I-94, I-43, and I-41, rural roads at dusk, and months of snow and ice all play a part. So do the deer.
Deer were involved in 17,432 Wisconsin crashes in 2024, injuring 707 people. Waukesha County had more deer crashes than any other county.2
Winter roads make it harder to stop in time. Leave extra space, and slow down early.
Hurt while driving for work? Workers’ compensation may cover your care.
Your car accident chiropractor starts by listening: how the crash happened, where you were sitting, and what hurts now. Then your doctor looks for what’s behind your pain, with a full exam and X-rays only if your exam calls for them.
If anything needs medical care first, your doctor will tell you and help you get it. Your doctor then explains what they found and talks through care options with you. You decide what’s right for you.
Care is natural and drug-free, designed around your injuries, your medical history, your daily life, and your goals.
A care guideline for whiplash and neck pain recommends hands-on care, such as spinal adjustments or gentle joint movement, along with exercise.7
The American College of Physicians recommends non-drug care first for new back pain. Its options include spinal manipulation, massage, and heat.8
Say so, and your doctor won’t adjust you. Gentle joint movement, muscle work, and exercise are other options. You choose your care.
Gentle, targeted adjustments help restore motion to joints in the neck and back that the crash left stiff.
Slow, controlled movements help loosen stiff joints when a full adjustment isn’t the right fit.
Guided exercises rebuild strength and movement, so you can get back to daily life.
Available at our Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, and West Allis North clinics.
Available at our Hales Corners and Oconomowoc clinics.
Your doctor records your symptoms, exam findings, and progress at each visit. With your written permission, we can share them with your insurer or attorney.
Your doctor explains what they found in plain language, so you know what’s going on and what you can do between visits.
Many people feel better within a few weeks. Most people with whiplash improve within a few weeks, and new back pain usually gets better over time.5,8
For some, pain lingers. A major international review found that about half of people with whiplash still had neck pain a year later.9 If your pain lasts more than a few weeks, keeps getting worse, or spreads, get checked.
of people with whiplash still report neck pain one year after the injury.9
In Wisconsin, a driver who causes a crash may be found responsible for the other driver’s injuries. Fault can also be shared.3 Your care may be covered in several ways, and our team can help you sort out which ones apply.
Pays medical bills for you and your passengers, up to your limit. Wisconsin insurers must offer it, with a $1,000 minimum, but you can decline it.3
If the other driver caused the crash, their liability coverage may pay through a claim. Wisconsin requires at least $25,000 per injured person.3
Every Wisconsin auto policy must include it: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash. It helps when the at-fault driver has no insurance.3
Your health plan may cover chiropractic care, too. We’re in-network with most insurance companies, including Medicare.
Coverage depends on your policies and your claim. This isn’t legal advice. Learn more about auto accident coverage.
We’re in-network with most insurance plans, including Medicare, and our team can check your benefits before you come in. No insurance? New patients can start with the $29 first visit.
Your doctor asks when the pain started, what makes it better or worse, your daily activities, and your goals.
Your doctor checks how your neck, back, and joints move, where it’s tender, and the strength, reflexes, and sensation in your arms and legs. X-rays are taken if needed.
Your doctor explains what they found and walks you through care options. You decide what's right for you.
Treatment begins at visit two. In acute cases, your doctor may decide same-day treatment is appropriate.
You'll see the same doctor as your care continues, so the person treating you knows your history and your progress.
Our chiropractors care for car accident injuries every week. These doctors bring backgrounds that fit patients recovering from a crash.
Dr. Doebert's training includes baseline concussion assessments and sports physicals, and she knows whiplash from her own car accident.
"[First-person line from Dr. Doebert about her own whiplash recovery.]"More about Dr. Doebert
Dr. Weber focuses on sports chiropractic, injury rehabilitation, and recovery after athletic events.
More about Dr. WeberDr. Corsi's training includes impairment rating, which can matter after a car accident.
More about Dr. CorsiPersonal care in neighborhood clinics, with more than 1,400 five-star Google reviews from real patients.
Winners and finalists, including our doctors and practices before they joined us. See every award, with sources
Every clinic offers chiropractic care for car accident injuries, close to home or work.
Let a doctor close to home listen, look for what's behind your pain, and talk through care that fits your life.
More life in every day.