Thomas Gehrmann | Remedies for Body Pain After Car Accident

Thomas Gehrmann Colorado Springs

“Following a car accident, the bones of the spine may shift out of their original position or lose their normal motion, in what’s called vertebral subluxation complex,” says Colorado Springs’ chiropractor Thomas Gehrmann. This condition is characterized by a set of signs and symptoms that affect the spinal column. Histopathology is one of its five major interrelated components, and it occurs when a person’s body temperature rises due to an increase in lymph and blood supplies. As a result, inflammation and swelling occur, causing discs to rip, project, herniate or depreciate.

According to Colorado Springs chiropractor Thomas Gehrmann, the individual may experience the following symptoms after a car accident:

● Pain and discomfort

● Loss of mobility

● Degradation of the spine

● Scar tissue

How Does the Lymphatic System Work?

The lymphatic system is a subdivision of the circulatory system, and it consists of lymph vessels, lymph nodes and lymph (translucent fluid containing white blood cells). The lymph vessels transport lymph throughout the body, allowing the white blood cells it contains to fight off foreign substances and rid the body of toxins and waste.

Lymph flows in one direction — up toward the neck — and within its own system. It travels into the venous blood stream via the subclavian veins (located on the sides of the neck). Plasma, the yellow liquid component of the blood, distributes nutrients and removes waste, before leaving the blood cells and going back to the venous circulation system where it will continue on as venous blood. That which does not leave becomes lymph. It too makes its departure, leaving the tissue and entering the lymphatic system throughout lymphatic capillaries.

Histopathology and the Lymphatic System / Venous System

Thomas Gehrmann notes that after a car accident or other trauma, if the spinal bones lose their natural motion and position (spinal kinesiopathology):

● The muscles of the spine can weaken, atrophy or stiffen, causing them to spasm. Over time, scar tissue can develop, changing the individual’s muscle tone. This is known as myopathology.

● Delicate nerve tissue can become chocked, stretched or irritated, leading to nerve system dysfunction (neuropathophysiology).

● Bony growths may attempt to fuse defective spinal joints, which can cause the spine to decay, scar tissue to form and nerve malfunction (pathophysiology).

“In these instances, the body may react to these traumas by increasing its blood and lymph supplies,” says Thomas Gehrmann. “This is how the body reacts to the perceived threat. However, this excess in blood and lymph supplies can have adverse effects. Beyond causing the body temperature to rise, the discs of the spine can become inflamed and swell. As a consequence, they may protrude, tear, herniate or deteriorate.”

How Chiropractic Treatment Can Help After Car Accident

According to Thomas Gehrmann, your chiropractor may first choose to perform spinal adjustments after car accident to get the spine back into alignment and free trapped nerves. This may not only reduce pain and restore mobility, but could allow the lymph and venous system to reduce its supplies since the trauma is no longer considered a threat that needs to be corrected.