Acupuncture
After a Car Accident
Most people feel more or less fine on the day and wake up on the second or third unable to turn their neck. That is common. The clinic is a registered ICBC supplier.
Why it happens
In a rear-end collision the neck is thrown in an instant and the muscles and ligaments around it take more load than they are built for. Symptoms appearing a day or two later is normal and does not mean nothing happened. Dizziness, tingling in the arm and poor sleep can come with it — all of which need individual assessment.
The die da tradition treats an impact injury as stagnation, and works to get local circulation moving again. Traditional language, not a modern account of healing.
How we assess it
First the accident: which direction, seatbelt, whether your head hit anything, when symptoms began, whether you have been to emergency. Then the range of movement in the neck and lower back and the tissue around them. Any head impact, change in consciousness or persistent severe headache goes for medical assessment first.
What may be worth considering
Acupuncture is within what ICBC pre-approves, and is usually arranged alongside moxibustion and release work. Dr. Kong's hands-on treatment and Qi Qi Pan's acupuncture can follow each other in a single visit, instead of sending you between clinics.
In an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department. After a crash: any change in consciousness, repeated vomiting, severe headache, changes in vision, weakness in the limbs or numbness that is getting worse — call 911 or go to emergency.
In their own words
YouTube · VideosFirst Acupuncture Appointment: Questions About Risks, Cost & ProgressQi Qi Pan · 0:54 · Transcript Common questions
It was my fault — can I still use it?
Yes. This part of ICBC's treatment coverage does not depend on who was at fault. A lot of people do not know that and lose months to it.
Do I need a referral from my family doctor?
Not for acupuncture within the pre-approved allowance. Bring your claim number and book.
I did not report it at the time and only feel it now — is it too late?
Call ICBC and open a claim to get a number. The pre-approval runs from the date of the accident, so the sooner the better.
Call and describe it. The practitioner will say whether to come in, or suggest you get other checks first. The call is free.