Injured in a
car accident?
San Diego’s
PI Chiropractor.

Yes — this is one of the most important situations in which to be evaluated. Adrenaline released during the stress of a collision suppresses pain signals for hours or even days. Whiplash symptoms commonly surface 24–72 hours after an accident. Soft tissue injuries involve a progressive inflammatory cascade that builds over time. Early evaluation also protects your legal claim — insurance companies use delays in seeking care to argue injuries were not caused by the accident.

Whiplash is a soft-tissue injury to the neck caused by the rapid back-and-forth motion of the head during a collision. It involves damage to muscles, ligaments, joint capsules, and potentially discs and nerves. Symptoms include neck pain and stiffness, headaches (especially at the base of the skull), shoulder and upper back pain, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and arm pain or tingling. Symptoms often start mild and worsen over the first several days as inflammation develops.

No. Whiplash guidelines (Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management, Quebec Task Force) do not require an MRI before conservative care starts, and they recommend beginning gentle, active treatment early. Your exam decides whether imaging is needed at all — I use the same screening criteria emergency departments use. If an MRI is ordered for your case, treatment continues while you wait for it and the results adjust the plan. The exceptions are red flags: worsening numbness or weakness in a limb, bowel or bladder changes, inability to turn your head, or a head injury with confusion or loss of consciousness. Those need imaging first.

If imaging is needed, I coordinate referrals for X-ray and MRI through facilities that work with PI cases on lien — meaning you pay nothing upfront. MRI is strongly recommended whenever you have arm pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness, as these suggest disc herniation or nerve impingement that must be objectively documented for your case.

If you have acute symptoms — severe pain, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, chest pain, or obvious fracture — go to an emergency room first. For the majority of accident patients without emergency-level symptoms, seeing a chiropractor promptly is appropriate and recommended. A strong case often benefits from both: ER records establishing acute presentation, and chiropractic records documenting the injury trajectory and treatment.

Recovery depends on injury severity, age, overall health, and how quickly you begin treatment. Mild soft tissue injuries typically improve in 2–6 weeks with consistent care. Whiplash generally requires 6 weeks to several months. Disc herniation or nerve involvement can take several months to a year. The average time-to-maximum medical improvement for significant musculoskeletal injuries is approximately one year.

Treatment is calibrated to your current condition. In the acute phase — the first 1–2 weeks — I use gentle, low-force techniques and supportive modalities (e-stim, flexion-distraction, soft tissue work) rather than forceful adjustments. As your tissues heal and tolerance improves, treatment progresses accordingly. Most patients leave their first appointment feeling relief, not additional pain.

Flexion-distraction is a gentle, low-force technique performed on a specialized motorized table. It decompresses the intervertebral disc, widens the neural foramen to relieve nerve root pressure, and reduces intradiscal pressure — all without rotation or high-velocity force. It’s particularly valuable in the acute phase when inflamed tissues can’t tolerate aggressive manipulation, and for any patient with disc involvement or radiating arm or leg pain.

Your first visit runs 45 minutes; follow-ups are 30. Dr. Loewenstein conducts a comprehensive examination: postural analysis, cervical and lumbar range of motion measurement, orthopedic testing, neurological screening, and palpation. He explains his findings, establishes the diagnosis, and outlines a phased treatment plan. You’ll typically receive treatment at the first visit. If imaging is needed, referrals are coordinated immediately. The documentation process begins on day one.

No — not without speaking to a personal injury attorney first. You are not legally required to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurer. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that minimize your claim. Anything you say can be used against you in settlement negotiations. Politely decline and tell them your attorney will be in touch.

The opposite is true. Documented, consistent treatment from a licensed healthcare provider strengthens a legitimate claim — it establishes a timeline, demonstrates injury severity, and creates the objective clinical evidence your attorney needs. What actually weakens a case is delaying care, missing appointments, or stopping treatment before maximum medical improvement.

California’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims from a car accident is two years from the date of the accident. However, do not wait anywhere near this long — evidence degrades, witnesses’ memories fade, and your medical timeline becomes more difficult to establish. Contact an attorney and begin treatment within days to weeks of the accident.

Yes. California follows pure comparative negligence law — you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault. Your recovery is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. If you were 20% at fault and your damages are $100,000, you can recover $80,000.

You should continue treatment as long as it is medically necessary — determined by your clinical progress, not by settlement timing. Stopping treatment before reaching maximum medical improvement weakens your case and may leave you with unresolved pain. Cases cannot be fully settled until MMI is established, because future medical costs and permanent impairment ratings can only be determined once your condition has stabilized.

Yes. In personal injury cases, treatment is provided on a medical lien — you receive full care now, with zero upfront payment. The chiropractor’s fees are paid from your settlement when the case resolves. Health insurance is not needed and is not billed.

Yes. California auto insurance policies often include Medical Payments (MedPay) coverage, which pays for medical treatment regardless of fault — including chiropractic care. These funds are separate from your liability claim against the at-fault driver, and using MedPay does not reduce your settlement.

No referral is needed to begin chiropractic care in California. You can call or book directly. For lien-based PI care, your attorney will be involved in formalizing the lien agreement, but that does not delay your ability to begin treatment. Call me at (858) 558-3111 and I can have you seen as quickly as same-day.