Injured in a car accident? Dr. Kelch is a certified whiplash specialist with advanced brain traumatology training. We handle all insurance documentation, work with your attorney, and provide the specialized care your injuries actually need. Same-day appointments available.
The adrenaline released during a car accident is a powerful pain masker. In the hours immediately following a crash, many people feel fine — only to wake up two or three days later with severe neck pain, headaches, back pain, or numbness they can't explain. This delayed onset is one of the most important things to understand about auto accident injuries.
Soft tissue injuries — the sprains, strains, disc tears, and ligament injuries that make up the majority of auto accident injuries — don't show up on emergency room X-rays or CT scans. ER physicians screen for fractures and internal bleeding, not soft tissue damage. This means many people leave the ER with a clean bill of health and undetected injuries that develop into chronic conditions.
Seeing Dr. Kelch within 72 hours does two critical things: it starts treatment before inflammation sets in and becomes chronic, and it creates medical documentation establishing the connection between the accident and your injuries. Gaps in treatment are used by insurance companies to minimize or deny claims.
The most common auto accident injury — caused by the sudden back-and-forth snapping of the neck during impact. Even low-speed crashes generate enough force to strain cervical ligaments, damage discs, and misalign vertebrae. Dr. Kelch's advanced whiplash training from the San Diego Spine Institute goes far beyond standard chiropractic treatment for these complex injuries.
The force of impact can herniate or bulge cervical discs that were previously healthy. These injuries produce neck pain combined with pain, numbness, or weakness radiating into the shoulder and arm. Cervical adjustments and decompression therapy are the most effective conservative treatment for disc injuries sustained in accidents.
The lower back is highly vulnerable in rear-end and side-impact collisions. Lumbar disc herniations, muscle tears, and vertebral misalignments are all common outcomes of motor vehicle accidents — particularly when the occupant was braced for impact or restrained by a seatbelt.
Head impact against a steering wheel, window, or headrest can cause concussion even without loss of consciousness. Dr. Kelch holds a brain traumatology certification and screens all accident patients for neurological signs of concussion — a step that most chiropractors and even many emergency physicians skip.
Gripping the steering wheel during impact, bracing against the dashboard, or being struck by a deploying airbag can injure the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands. As Peoria's only CCEP-certified chiropractor, Dr. Kelch is specifically trained to evaluate and treat these extremity injuries — not just the spine.
The muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the cervical and lumbar spine can be severely strained during an accident without any fracture occurring. These soft tissue injuries are the most common cause of chronic post-accident pain and require specific treatment — not just rest — to heal properly and avoid long-term dysfunction.
Dr. Kelch's accident injury protocol is more comprehensive than standard chiropractic care — reflecting his advanced training in the specific patterns of injury that motor vehicle accidents produce.
A thorough assessment of all body regions affected by the accident — not just where you currently feel pain. Dr. Kelch screens for neurological signs of concussion, examines the cervical and lumbar spine, and assesses extremity joints. X-rays are taken as clinically indicated. You receive a complete picture of your injuries on your first visit.
Every finding is documented in clinical detail — the type essential for insurance claims and legal proceedings. Dr. Kelch has extensive experience providing the medical records, narrative reports, and deposition testimony that personal injury cases require. We work directly with your attorney.
A specialized protocol addressing the specific injury patterns of whiplash — cervical ligament damage, disc injury, and joint dysfunction. This goes well beyond standard neck adjustments to address the full scope of soft tissue and structural damage that whiplash creates.
Precise adjustments restore spinal alignment disrupted by impact forces, while decompression therapy addresses disc injuries. Beginning this treatment early — before scar tissue forms and before pain becomes chronic — produces significantly better outcomes than delayed treatment.
For patients with signs of concussion, Dr. Kelch's brain traumatology training allows him to implement appropriate management protocols and identify when referral to a neurologist is needed. Many accident patients have unmanaged concussion symptoms that delay their recovery.
We handle all communication with your auto insurance company, coordinate care with your attorney if needed, and bill directly to your PIP or Med Pay coverage. Our goal is to remove every administrative obstacle so you can focus entirely on recovery.
Dr. Kelch holds three certifications that directly apply to auto accident injuries: Brain Traumatology through the San Diego Spine Institute, Whiplash Specialist certification, and CCEP (Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner). This combination allows him to treat the full spectrum of accident injuries — from concussion and cervical ligament damage to shoulder, wrist, and knee injuries — under one roof.
Insurance companies look for gaps in treatment, inconsistencies in documentation, and delays in care. Dr. Kelch's records are written with the standards of both medical and legal documentation in mind. Patients who begin care with Dr. Kelch promptly after an accident — and maintain consistent treatment — are in a far stronger position when it comes time to resolve their claim.
The research is unambiguous: patients who begin chiropractic care within days of a motor vehicle accident recover faster, more completely, and with less chronic pain than patients who wait. Don't let a busy schedule, uncertainty about insurance coverage, or the assumption that you're "not that hurt" delay your care. Call us the same day as your accident.
"Dr. Kelch was the first doctor who actually explained what happened to my neck in the accident. He treated every injury I had, documented everything perfectly for my attorney, and got me fully recovered. I can't recommend him highly enough."
— Tom V., East Peoria ★★★★★
Normally $250 — new patients only
Book Your $49 ExamSame-day appointments available · $49 new patient special · Most insurance accepted
Full-service accident injury care including documentation, insurance coordination, and attorney support.
Learn More →Comprehensive spinal adjustments to correct the misalignments and disc injuries caused by crash forces.
Learn More →Non-surgical treatment for herniated and bulging discs — a common result of motor vehicle accidents.
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