Activities of Daily Living Impact Following Baltimore Auto Accidents

Activities of Daily Living Impact Following Baltimore Auto Accidents

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that treats many patients who have been injured in Baltimore auto accidents, I see many patients with physical symptoms. As previously discussed these symptoms typically include headaches, neck pain, back pain, and occasionally radiating arm and leg pain. The majority of the treatments in this office are geared towards increased ranges of motion, decreasing pain, and restoring pre-injury levels of functioning.

Injured patients are more than just a list of injured body parts. They are our mothers and fathers, our auto mechanics, our bus drivers, and our friends. Each patient has a unique set of circumstances that lead to their injuries and each has a unique set of impacts that their injuries have on their lives. These life activities are grouped under the umbrella term of “activities of daily living” or “ADLs.”

The extent to which an injury can impact a patients ADLs are important for providers to note during care, as it can give insurance companies insight into the degree to which an injured claimant’s life has been impacted as a result of an injury. Impacts on ADLs are considered value drivers in most personal injury claims. Despite the fact that they are important to note, many chiropractors and physical therapists do not take the time to ask about these lifestyle impediments and they go mostly undocumented. It probably makes sense that a dominant right-handed female hair dresser’s wrist sprain would impact her life more than would a left knee sprain for a patient that sits at a desk all day. It is important for the treating provider to ask and record these ADL impacts both at the beginning of a therapeutic regimen and at the end of care as well.

There are three main categories of ADLs. The categories and activities are generally divided up as follows:

• General Activities
  • Sitting
  • Standing
  • Bending
  • Lifting
  • Walking
  • Lying Down
  • Sleeping
• Duties Under Duress
  • Driving
  • Working
  • Housework
  • Dressing
  • Personal Hygiene/Self Care
  • Caring for Children
• Enjoyment Activities
  • Using a computer
  • Exercising
  • Watching TV/Movies
  • Playing Video Games
  • Etc.

I have patients fill out these ADL checklists on their first and last visits in my office. This information is extremely useful when the injured patient or their legal representatives hope to make a claim to a third party for damages.

If you, or someone you know, has suffered from injuries sustained in a Baltimore auto accident and require treatment please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz