What is a PI (Personal Injury) Chiropractor?

If you've heard the term "PI chiropractor," you could be forgiven for wondering what kind of chiropractor has a special license to work on private investigators! But these mysterious initials simply stand for "personal injury" -- and as an experienced Bellevue chiropractor, I have seen a great many personal injury patients here at Chiropractic of Bellevue. These injuries can involve acute pain, musculoskeletal damage and nerve problems. If you've sustained a personal injury, you will be very happy to know that we can treat these and other issues.

Conditions Commonly Seen by a PI Chiropractor

As a PI chiropractor, I frequently receive patients who have scheduled an emergency evaluation immediately following a traumatic incident such as a car accident, workplace injury or sudden injury in the home. Specific examples may include:

• Whiplash - A combination of strained neck muscles, cervical vertebral dislocation and pinched nerve tissue caused by the head being "whipped" back and forth, most often seen in auto accidents
• Low back injury - Heavy lifting or a sharp jolt from a car collision can strain the muscles that support the lower back. A disc may also shift position and herniate, pressing a nearby nerve root to cause sciatica or other problems.
• Thoracic spinal injury - The thoracic spine in the middle of the back can be injured by a violent twisting motion. For instance, if your car gets hit, half of your body may fly forward while the other half is secured by your shoulder restraint. The resulting motion can damage muscles and force spinal joints out of alignment.

While auto accidents are not the only cases a PI chiropractor sees, they are pretty common. Some personal injury victims do not even feel injury symptoms until much later -- which is why I always recommend that you get your spine evaluated to check for a lurking injury.

How a Bellevue Chiropractor Treats Personal Injuries

If you need a Bellevue chiropractor to treat your personal injury, I am ready to help. When you first visit the office, I will ask you about your symptoms and the details of the accident while examining your spinal column. If you are in acute pain, rest assured that I will administer treatment right away to help you start feeling better.

Chiropractic adjustments can relieve the stresses on joints that have been nudged out of alignment, restore your normal posture, ease muscle strain and un-pinch those pinched nerves. I can also prescribe therapeutic stretches and other exercises to ease pain, rebuild strength and add flexibility to injured muscles. Let me serve as your PI chiropractor so we can "close the case" on your injury!

- Dr. Edward Owens D.C.

Did you receive more than one injury from your accident? Tell us about it!