Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Rehabilitation Information

NEW HAMBURG WELLNESS CENTRE

                                                                                               

FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TREATMENT FOR YOUR INJURIES:

·    The New Hamburg Wellness Centre offers emergency access to care for individuals who have sustained injuries in a motor vehicle accident (MVA).  You do not have to see a medical doctor to start receiving treatment for a motor vehicle accident injury at our centre. Our centre is capable of immediately initiating your claim and starting rehabilitation and treatment for your injuries.

·     You have the right to choose where you would like to have your treatments done.  You may wish to choose our facility based on familiarity, location, convenience, hours, and the multi-disciplinary services we offer. 

·     The New Hamburg Wellness Centre is a licensed service provider with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) and is able to provide treatment and bill your auto insurer directly for your treatments.

·      Our centre has the ability to utilize a combination of the following treatment modalities to help you recover quickly and completely:

 

• Rehabilitative Exercise and
• Physical Therapy
• Registered Massage Therapy
• Laser Therapy
• Medical Acupuncture
• Chiropractic Care
• Active Release Therapy
• Graston Soft Tissue Therapy
• Electrotherapy

·   MVA injuries are not limited to just Whiplash injuries of the neck.  Any body part can be injured.  Our experience, examination protocol and treatment regime is specifically tailored to treating MVA-related injuries, including headaches, neck pain, mid back pain, low back pain, and soft tissue injuries. Our unique, multi-faceted approach has successfully rehabilitated hundreds of individuals who have sustained MVA-related injuries.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MVA CLAIMS:

Below are some frequently asked questions and answers regarding MVA claims:

1.    Q: Do I need a referral from my insurance company or medical doctor to receive treatment for my MVA injuries?

A: No. Our doctors are primary health care providers and are readily accessed.

2.   Q: My insurance company (or medical doctor) has told me I have to go to a specific facility to get treatment for my injuries, but I would prefer to come to this facility (because of familiarity, location, convenience, hours, multi-disciplinary services). Can I choose where I can go to have treatment for my injuries?

A: Yes. You have the right to choose where you would like to have your treatments done. Our centre is capable of immediately initiating your claim and starting rehabilitation and treatment for your injuries. Our experience, examination protocol and treatment regime is specifically tailored to treating MVA-related injuries, including headaches, neck pain, mid back pain, low back pain, and soft tissue injuries. Our unique, multi-faceted approach has successfully rehabilitated hundreds of individuals who have sustained MVA-related injuries.

3.    Q: If I undergo care, will my insurance rates increase?

A: No. Your rates will not increase as a result of an injury claim only.

4.    Q: How much will care cost?

A: Under the present legislation, there is no net out-of-pocket expense for care. This means our centre will look after all billing on approved claims and all treatment services will be covered by the applicable insurance coverage available.

5.  Q: I was involved in an accident, and had little stiffness the next day.  Is it worthwhile to undergo care?

A: Maybe. In a number of instances there is a delayed onset of symptoms that can take weeks to show up after a seemingly innocent fender-bender. A thorough examination will help clarify a need for care or not.

If you have any specific questions that need to be addressed regarding injuries you have sustained in a MVA, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

High And Low Impact Activities For Everyone

Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA)

It is no secret that at the Canadian Chiropractic Association (CCA) we often promote the benefits of regular physical activity as a way to stay healthy and happy. In fact, the CCA thinks it’s so important that we’ve created a free app: Straighten Up Canada! The app is currently available for download via Apple Store, Google Play and Blackberry World. Featuring easy-to-follow exercises, it helps to improve your posture and allows you to stay active during your day!

Investing time to do activities or sports that you enjoy is key to healthy aging and an active lifestyle. Being physically active is often a good way to prevent and manage musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries as well as helping maintain strength and mobility. Varying your routine between high- and low-impact activities is a great way to modify your workouts and challenge the body. We’ve outlined some great suggestions for both so you can get up and get moving!

 

High Impact

High-impact exercise is typically described as an (often aerobic) activity where both feet leave the ground at the same time¹. Often, high-impact activities may include exercise classes which involve jumping, leaping, or jogging in place. Doing high-impact exercise can put you at greater risk of injury if your body is not prepared, especially if you’re just starting out. Be cautious and adapt to a lower impact version of the activity if in doubt. Otherwise, before starting high-impact exercises make sure you have warmed-up.

 

Good examples of high-impact exercises are:

• Jumping jacks
• Jumping rope
• Running or jogging on a treadmill (or outdoors)
• Performing plyometric exercises

High-impact exercises tend to be more intense and expend more energy, so it’s important that if you’re doing high-impact exercises that you’re well-prepared. For some, high-impact exercises are not appropriate: they may increase the risk of injury, commonly to the ankles, knees, hips, and even the back. That being said, high-impact exercises can have a lot of great benefits too²:

• Improves bone density
• Increases an individual’s heart rate more quickly, thereby burning more calories
• Improves a person’s stability, balance, and coordination
• Strengthens the heart and lungs

Low Impact³

Low-impact exercise tends to be less jarring on the body and joints, and less intense overall. According to the American Council on Exercise, keeping at least one foot on the ground at all times also reduces your risk of musculoskeletal injury. Some examples include⁴:

• Working out on an elliptical machine
• Low-impact aerobics
• Using a rowing machine
• Home exercise
• Walking
• Dancing
• Cycling
• Swimming
• Nordic walking

It’s important to realize that low impact doesn’t mean low intensity (unless purposely designed to be so) because you can still get an intense workout keeping both feet on the ground. Low-impact exercises are great for beginners, people with arthritis or osteoporosis, older adults, individuals who are obese, pregnant women, and people with bone, joint, or connective tissue injuries.

 

Whichever form of physical activity you choose, make sure you do it safely. Talk to your chiropractor if you have any questions. For more ways to get fit, check out Fit-in 15.

References

1Amy Gonsalves, “High Impact versus low impact.” Diabetes Outside blog. April 19, 2011. http://blog.diabetesoutside.com/?p=1060

2Paige Waehner, “High Impact Exercise—Is High Impact Exercise Right for You?” VeryWell.com. May 2, 2016. https://www.verywell.com/is-high-impact-exercise-right-for-you-1230821

3Nicole Nichols, “low impact vs. high impact exercise: Which is right for you?” SparkPeople.com. April 14, 2010. http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=fitness_defined_lowimpact_and_highimpact_exercises

4NHS, “Easy exercises.” NHS Choices. Page last reviewed: 01/03/2016. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Lowimpact.aspx