Hurt in a crash? Get examined this week.
Even a low-speed collision can leave the neck and back guarded for months. We evaluate you quickly, document objective findings while they are still measurable, and build a plan that treats the injury instead of waiting it out.
Why the first week matters
After a collision, the neck and low back often feel stiff rather than painful for the first day or two. Muscles guard the area, and the real loss of motion shows up over the following week. We try to see you inside that week for two reasons. Treatment works better before guarding becomes the new normal, and the exam findings are still measurable and clearly tied to the crash.
What the exam covers
- How the crash happened: direction of impact, headrest position, whether you saw it coming, seatbelt use, airbag deployment
- Range of motion in the neck and back, recorded in degrees rather than described as “limited”
- Neurological checks: reflexes, strength, and sensation in the arms and legs
- Palpation of each spinal segment for restriction, tenderness and swelling
- Whether imaging is needed. If it is, we arrange it and wait for the results before adjusting the area in question.
Everything is written down in a format an adjuster or attorney can read without a phone call to explain it.
Treatment
Whiplash-type injuries are treated with lower force at first. A guarded neck is not a candidate for a manual thrust in week one, so early visits usually rely on mobilization and drop-table work, then progress as the tissue settles. You get specific instructions on movement, ice or heat, and sleeping position, because what you do between visits matters as much as the visits themselves.
Paying for care after a crash
Maine auto policies include medical payments coverage, with a required minimum of $2,000. It pays for treatment regardless of who was at fault. Our visits are billed at the same flat rates as any other visit ($150 for the exam and first adjustment, $50 for follow-ups), and we give you itemized bills to submit to your medical payments carrier or the at-fault driver’s insurer. If an attorney is handling your claim, we send records and bills to their office once you sign a release.
Booking
Call 607-321-1395 and tell us it is a crash injury so we can fit you in this week, or book online (opens in a new tab). No referral is needed.