I'm hurt but I don't have a health insurance! Please help!!!

Not so fast my friends. Maybe you do and you just do not know it.

Hello, Jacksonville. Today I wanted to talk about car insurance. That’s right, I said car insurance!

Every day I have people coming through my doors who have been injured in auto accidents. All too often, as far as they know, they will have to pay for their medical treatment all by themselves. Fortunately, I have it on good authority that for most of you this just isn’t true! You have help: your car insurance.

Drivers who are insured in Florida are required by law to carry a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection insurance, also known as a ‘PIP’ policy. Note that that is a minimum - you may be carrying more. Who is this money for? It is for you! Florida is a no-fault state, so each person’s car insurance pays for their damages and injuries, regardless of whose fault the accident was.

Here is how it works, in a nutshell: If you are carrying a $10,000 PIP policy and you injure your back, that policy will cover 80% of the cost of your medical bills and 60% of the cost of your lost wages up to $10,000, even if the accident was your fault. Additionally, the policy covers property damage, again with a minimum of $10,000. So that will help out with your car, too.

Basically, if you have car insurance you have a guaranteed cushion of at least $10,000 in case of being injured in an accident. That money can be used for visits to the ER, a physical therapist, or even your friendly neighborhood chiropractor!

One thing you should be aware of: in 2012, the Florida state legislature tightened up the no-fault law to reduce fraud. For less serious conditions, there is now a cap of $2,500 on what you can claim. Also, if you need to make a PIP claim, it is important to act quickly! You have fourteen days to make your claim with your insurance. After that, you lose your chance!

Despite these restrictions, Personal Injury Protection is there to help you, the person injured in an accident, and it can. It doesn’t matter if you were at fault or even if the other driver was uninsured. The PIP policy still kicks in. Your PIP policy can be used to help cover the cost of your medical bills. This is a great advantage for Floridians. So take advantage of it!

Let’s start working on feeling better, Florida!

Yours in health,

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

Chiropractic Physician

www.activechirocenter.com

Distracted drivers+Cellphones=Whiplash Injuries. Here's what you need to know:

Hello everyone, Dr. Renne here to talk about a very common and very painful injury, the condition commonly known as whiplash. Physicians, of course, have a longer and more complicated name for whiplash: CAD Syndrome, also known as Cervical Acceleration Deceleration.

Wow, doc, those sure are some $10 words. What do they mean?

If you’ve ever been in a fender-bender in your car, there is a good chance you’ve experienced at least mild whiplash. Here is what happened to you: the rapid acceleration and deceleration (remember those words from the scientific name?) of the crash forced your neck to flex beyond the limits of its normal range of motion. As your head was suddenly thrown backward and forward, your cervical spine was hyper-extended. This might have resulted in all kinds of injuries to the vertebrae in your spine or the muscles, joints, and ligaments in your neck.

Now, if you experienced whiplash, the pain, soreness, and discomfort might show up right away. But they might not. Sometimes it takes a day or two to feel the effects. But either way it is definitely no fun! Whiplash can have symptoms you wouldn’t expect, too, sometimes taking the form of headaches, dizziness, shoulder and back pain, or even strange prickling or burning sensations.

Sometimes, the injuries you receive from whiplash may be no worse than a stiff neck in the morning. But when you’re dealing with a potential injury to your spine it’s a good idea not to take any chances. If you think you’ve experienced whiplash, don’t just try to tough it out! You need to see a medical provider. Your friendly local chiropractor is one excellent option!

As a chiropractor, here are the things I check for when a patient comes in with whiplash symptoms:

1. Joint dysfunction and loss of normal range of movement
2. Muscle dysfunction with painful trigger points
3. Faulty movement patterns
4. Herniated discs

If left unchecked, these conditions can lead to chronic pain as well as a loss of range of motion in the neck and shoulders. That’s why we want to get them looked at as soon as possible.

Fortunately, there are effective treatments available. Depending on the nature of the underlying injury, I might recommend chiropractic manipulation, muscle relaxation, muscle stimulation, exercise and physical therapy, or even posture and lifestyle changes. The earlier we start these treatments the more successful they will be!

If you’ve been in a car accident, or had a fall, or been in any kind of physical collision where your head was jerked around, you are at risk for whiplash. If you start experiencing neck pain, shoulder pain, soreness, tingling, numbness, headaches, dizziness, prickling or burning immediately afterward or within a few days, don’t wait! Please see a medical provider ASAP!

If you think you may have experienced whiplash, come in and see us. The phone number to setup an appointment is (904) 398-4860.

Yours in health,  

Christopher B. Renne, D.C.

www.activechirocenter.com

904-398-4860 office