With Thanksgiving almost upon us and December holidays including New Year's Eve just around the corner, our Lake Worth chiropractor, Dr. Jack J. Cacic, would like to remind you to take adequate safety precautions this holiday season. Each year between the end of November and the beginning of January, thousands of people are injured, some of them seriously.

We all know to be careful while driving in extreme weather conditions to prevent collisions and the danger of incurring an auto accident injury. Rainstorms, heavy fogs and low visibility are all high risk factors for car accidents. Add to that busier roads than normal and potentially drunk drivers, and it's easy to see why this holiday season, it's imperative that you and your family buckle up before hitting the road.

But traffic isn't the only situation that can be dangerous: hanging holiday decorations also results in hundreds of injuries each year. People over strain their back muscles while hanging up holiday lights or fall off stepladders and even roofs due to slippery conditions and faulty equipment.

Other holiday injuries can even involve pulling a muscle while carrying too many groceries or carrying the tree inside. All of these scenarios can result in injuries such as whiplash, neck pain, and back pain that need chiropractic care to heal. So before you get laid up for the holidays, make sure to double-check all of your equipment before using it and get a friend to help you hang your decorations.

How Chiropractic Treatment Can Help

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer an injury during the holidays, it is good to know that chiropractic can offer an effective and fast method of treatment for subluxations in the spine.

After an initial assessment of the cause of your back pain, neck pain or other complaint, your chiropractor will prescribe a course of treatment that will most likely include adjustments, strengthening exercises and massage therapy. In many cases, adjustments and massage therapy can result in a certain amount of immediate pain reduction. But don't wait too long before seeing your chiropractor if you're injured during the holiday season. The sooner you get treatment, the better.

Have you needed to schedule a chiropractic treatment due to a holiday injury or possibly to reduce stress and tension during this more hectic time of year?