Question
Hi.  I am a 24-year-old female and last Thursday I was in a hammock with a friend swinging way too high.  The support wire around the tree at our heads broke, throwing us about six feet over and down a drop-off of about six feet.  It knocked the breath out of me, and I have a lot of middle and upper back and neck pain.  I went to my chiropractor the next day and she adjusted me, telling me to come back in a week.  I am still in a lot of pain, sometimes feeling it a little in my chest.  Is this normal pain after a fall that will resolve itself?  Should I see a physician now or would it hurt more to wait a few days to see what my chiropractor has to say?  Thank you in advance!

Answer
Dear Gillian,

Sorry about the lateness of this response, family emergency out of town.

It is common complaint to have pain such as you are describing after a fall, but your chiropractor should have examined the are before adjusting you, and possibly taken x-rays as well to rule out fracture depending on what was found on the exam.  I hope that the chiropractor took the time to look closely at you.

The pain you are experiencing should begin to improve over the next few days, but may only improve slowly, depending on the amounts of inflammation present and injury.  you should closely monitor your symptoms and make sure that this is followed up on.

If you were my patient, I would have examined you just like you were a new patient in my office, and probably would have taken x-rays.  I would have also utilized electrical stimulation called interferrential current to help minimize pain and inflammation along with ice before giving an adjustment as long as no fractures were detected.  I also would have wanted to see you 3-4 times that week to monitor your progress and work on controlling inflammation.  You may additionally need an MRI, but only if clinically warranted.

Feeling pain in your chest often happens with a back injury due to the rib and muscle connections, but pain in the chest can also be a sign of a more serious condition.  Again monitor the chest pain symptoms, and if they get worse, then have it examined at the ER to be safe.

I wish you the best in your recovery.

Respectfully,
Dr. J. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoasthealthcare.net