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Conditions We Treat

Auto Accident
Injury & Recovery

A car accident can shake you up physically in ways that don't always show up right away. We treat the full range of auto injuries — from whiplash and back pain to soft tissue damage — and we work with your auto insurance so recovery doesn't have to be complicated.

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✓ 88+ Five-Star Reviews
✓ No Out-of-Pocket Cost with MedPay Coverage
✓ Experienced Auto Injury Chiropractor in San Mateo
✓ Serving San Mateo Since 2010
Auto Accident Injury & Recovery

Real relief, real causes —
not just masked symptoms

After a car accident, your body has been through a significant physical trauma — even if you walked away and felt "okay" at the scene. The force of a collision, even at low speeds, can strain muscles, compress joints, tear soft tissue, and jolt the spine in ways that may not produce noticeable pain for hours or days. By the time symptoms appear, the injury is already established.

At High Amplitude Health in San Mateo, we specialize in the full range of auto accident injuries — whiplash, neck and back pain, shoulder strain, headaches, and general soft tissue damage. Dr. Blenio uses a combination of chiropractic adjusting, myofascial therapy, trigger point therapy, and targeted rehab exercises to treat both the acute pain and the underlying tissue damage that causes problems down the road if left unaddressed.

One of the most important things you can do after an accident is get evaluated and begin treatment promptly. Early intervention significantly reduces the risk of acute injuries becoming chronic pain — and it creates the documentation your insurance claim may require. We accept MedPay auto insurance, which means many patients receive comprehensive care at no out-of-pocket cost.

Auto accident scene — High Amplitude Health treats car accident injuries in San Mateo
Early Treatment = Faster Recovery
Chiropractic · ART · Soft tissue therapy
How We Treat It

A complete approach for
auto accident injury recovery

◎
Chiropractic spinal adjusting
Collisions — even low-speed ones — compress and misalign the joints of the cervical and lumbar spine. Chiropractic adjustments restore proper joint motion, relieve nerve pressure, and reduce the inflammation that makes post-accident pain so persistent. Often the most immediately noticeable part of treatment.
Particularly important to address early. Joints that remain restricted after an accident develop compensatory movement patterns that accelerate wear and contribute to chronic pain — problems that are far harder to resolve months or years later.
◈
Myofascial therapy
The impact of a collision causes muscles and connective tissue to tighten defensively — and in many cases, scar tissue and adhesions form during the healing process. Myofascial therapy breaks up these adhesions, restores normal tissue mobility, and prevents the chronic tightness that makes accident injuries linger for months.
Whiplash, in particular, causes significant fascial damage throughout the neck and upper back that standard X-rays won't show. Myofascial therapy directly addresses this hidden layer of injury — which is often the primary driver of ongoing post-accident pain.
⟳
Active Release Therapy (ART)
ART precisely targets the specific muscles, tendons, and nerves damaged or restricted by accident trauma — releasing adhesions and restoring normal movement in the areas that hurt. It's particularly effective for whiplash injuries, where multiple soft tissue structures are involved simultaneously.
Unlike general massage, ART works on the precise anatomical structures involved in your specific injury pattern — making it one of the most efficient ways to resolve post-accident soft tissue damage rather than simply managing the pain it produces.
▷
Trigger point therapy
Auto accidents create acute muscle spasm — the body's protective response to sudden trauma. When this spasm isn't fully released, it settles into trigger points: tight, painful knots that refer discomfort to surrounding areas. Focused pressure directly on these points provides rapid pain relief and interrupts the spasm cycle.
Many patients describe trigger point therapy as the most immediately relieving part of treatment — particularly for the neck and upper back tightness that makes everyday movement so uncomfortable after a collision.
◇
Soft tissue compression & percussion therapy
Broad manual compression and targeted percussion therapy are both highly effective for calming the acute muscle guarding and spasm that follow a collision. These techniques reduce inflammation, improve circulation to damaged tissues, and allow deeper therapeutic work to proceed more comfortably.
Particularly useful in the initial phase of treatment when tissues are too reactive for deeper work — and as ongoing recovery support between sessions to maintain the progress made during treatment visits.
▸
PNF stretching & therapeutic exercise
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching reduces pain by lengthening muscles that have shortened and locked up after trauma. Combined with foam roller work and targeted rehab exercises, this restores flexibility, rebuilds stability, and empowers you to continue your recovery actively between sessions.
These tools also serve a practical purpose: they give you something to do at home that supports your recovery, rather than leaving you feeling passive and uncertain about what you can do to help yourself heal.
Who It Helps

Common injuries we treat
after an accident

Car accidents cause a wide range of injuries — many of which don't appear immediately. Here are the most common conditions we see and treat in auto accident patients.

01

Whiplash

The most common auto accident injury — and the most commonly undertreated. Whiplash occurs when a sudden impact forces the neck through rapid forward-backward motion, straining muscles, ligaments, and joints throughout the cervical spine. Symptoms often don't peak until 24–72 hours after the accident. Early treatment is critical to prevent acute whiplash from becoming a months-long chronic pain condition.

02

Neck pain & stiffness

Beyond true whiplash, accidents frequently cause joint compression, facet irritation, and muscle guarding throughout the cervical spine. The resulting stiffness and pain can limit rotation, make driving uncomfortable, and disrupt sleep — all of which respond well to chiropractic care and soft tissue treatment.

03

Lower & mid back pain

The impact of a collision compresses the lumbar and thoracic spine, strains the supporting muscles, and can aggravate or create disc issues. Back pain is the second most common post-accident complaint we treat — and it's frequently dismissed or masked with pain medication when hands-on care would produce far better long-term outcomes.

04

Headaches following a collision

Post-accident headaches are extremely common and almost always have a muscular or cervicogenic origin. The same whiplash forces that injure the neck create trigger points and joint restrictions that refer pain into the head. These typically respond very well to the same treatment approach used for the neck injury itself.

05

Shoulder & upper back strain

Bracing against impact, seatbelt forces, and airbag deployment all strain the muscles, tendons, and joints of the shoulder and upper back. These injuries are often overlooked in the immediate aftermath of a crash — but they frequently become significant sources of pain and dysfunction if not treated early.

06

Soft tissue injuries & muscle spasm

Muscles throughout the body respond to collision trauma by contracting protectively. This acute spasm is the body's way of splinting injured areas — but when it persists, it creates painful, restricted movement that compounds the original injury. Myofascial therapy and trigger point work directly resolve this pattern.

07

Delayed-onset pain

One of the most important things to understand about auto accident injuries is that they frequently don't hurt right away. Adrenaline, inflammation that hasn't yet peaked, and the body's natural protective responses can all mask pain in the immediate aftermath. If you were in an accident and feel "fine," getting evaluated promptly is still strongly advisable — both for your health and for your insurance claim.

You don't have to
live with this pain.

Early treatment after an accident produces significantly better outcomes than waiting until pain becomes severe. We'll evaluate your injuries thoroughly, begin treatment promptly, and handle the insurance paperwork so you can focus on getting better.

3–6
Average sessions to resolution
88+
Five-star Google reviews

Serving San Mateo, Burlingame, Foster City, Redwood City, Belmont & surrounding areas since 2010.

Book Your First Visit →
About Dr. John Blenio

Experienced auto injury care
in San Mateo

Dr. John Blenio has been treating auto accident injuries in San Mateo for over 16 years. He understands that patients who come in after an accident are often overwhelmed — dealing with insurance companies, vehicle repairs, possible legal proceedings, and physical pain all at once. His role is to take the healthcare side of that burden completely off your plate.

His approach combines chiropractic spinal adjusting, myofascial therapy, Active Release Therapy, trigger point work, and guided rehab exercises into a comprehensive treatment plan tailored specifically to your injury pattern. He documents everything thoroughly — which is important both for your recovery and for any insurance or legal proceedings that may follow.

The goal isn't just to get you through the acute pain phase. It's to ensure the injuries heal completely — so you're not dealing with chronic neck or back problems five years from now because an acute whiplash injury was never properly resolved.

✓
Whiplash & Soft Tissue Injury Specialist Comprehensive treatment of cervical, lumbar, and soft tissue accident injuries
✓
Active Release Therapy (ART) Certified Targeted soft tissue release for whiplash, muscle strain, and adhesion breakdown
✓
MedPay & Auto Insurance Billing We handle the insurance process so you can focus entirely on your recovery
Dr. John Blenio providing auto accident injury treatment at High Amplitude Health San Mateo
Auto Insurance & Billing

We accept auto insurance —
often at no cost to you

We accept any automobile insurance policy that includes MedPay (Medical Payment Insurance), which allows for fully covered treatment with no out-of-pocket cost to you.

If your auto insurance policy includes MedPay coverage, your treatment at High Amplitude Health may be fully covered — meaning no payment required from you during your care. To get started, we'll need the following information from you:

1
Name of your auto insurance carrier
2
Name, phone number, and email address of your claims adjuster
3
Your auto claim number
4
Date of your accident
5
A confirmation letter or email from your claims adjuster confirming the medical claim is open
No MedPay? No Problem.

We still make the process as straightforward as possible

If your policy doesn't include MedPay coverage, you'll be responsible for our standard out-of-pocket fee per visit. At the conclusion of your care, we'll provide you with a detailed SuperBill that you can submit directly to your auto insurance provider or personal injury attorney for reimbursement consideration.

Not sure what your coverage includes? Call or text us at (650) 735-1716 and we'll help you figure it out before your first visit.

Why start treatment promptly?

Many insurance policies have a window of time after an accident during which treatment must begin to be covered. Beyond coverage, early treatment simply produces better outcomes. Don't wait for the pain to become severe — the sooner we begin, the faster and more completely you'll recover.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about
auto accident injury care

I feel okay right after the accident. Do I still need to see a chiropractor? +
Yes — and this is one of the most important things to understand about auto injuries. Adrenaline and the body's acute stress response frequently mask pain in the immediate aftermath of a collision. Whiplash symptoms in particular often don't peak until 24 to 72 hours after the accident. Getting evaluated promptly — even if you feel fine — allows us to identify and begin treating injuries before they become entrenched, and creates the documentation that protects you if symptoms do emerge later.
How soon after the accident should I come in? +
As soon as possible — ideally within 24 to 72 hours of the accident. Early treatment produces significantly better outcomes than waiting. Additionally, many MedPay and auto insurance policies have time requirements for initiating treatment after an accident. Delaying care can complicate both your recovery and your insurance claim.
What does treatment for whiplash actually involve? +
Whiplash treatment at High Amplitude Health is hands-on and comprehensive. It typically involves a combination of chiropractic adjustments to restore joint motion in the cervical spine, myofascial therapy to address muscle and connective tissue damage, trigger point work to release acute spasm, and gradually progressive stretching and exercise to rebuild mobility and stability. Treatment is always adapted to your current pain level and tolerance — we work with your body, not against it.
Do you accept auto insurance? +
Yes — we accept any automobile insurance policy that includes MedPay (Medical Payment Insurance), which covers treatment with no out-of-pocket cost to you. If your policy doesn't include MedPay, we bill at our standard rates and provide a SuperBill at the end of your care for submission to your insurance provider or attorney. Not sure what your policy includes? Call or text us at (650) 735-1716 — we're happy to help you navigate it.
I have a personal injury attorney. Can they work with you? +
Absolutely. We're experienced working alongside personal injury attorneys and understand the documentation requirements for legal proceedings. We maintain thorough, accurate records of your diagnosis, treatment, and progress — all of which can support your claim. We provide a detailed SuperBill at the conclusion of care that your attorney can use in negotiations or litigation.
How many sessions will I need? +
It depends on the severity of your injuries and how promptly treatment began. Minor whiplash injuries treated early often resolve well within 6 to 10 sessions. More significant or delayed injuries typically require a longer course of care. Dr. Blenio will give you a realistic, honest assessment at your first visit — and your treatment plan will be adjusted as your recovery progresses.
Can chiropractic care help with back pain from a car accident? +
Yes — back pain is the second most common auto injury complaint we treat, and it responds very well to the combination of spinal adjusting and soft tissue work we use. The key is not waiting until the pain becomes severe or chronic. Acute back injuries from collisions are far more straightforward to treat than the same injury six months later when compensatory patterns and scar tissue have built up. Early treatment is the best investment you can make in your long-term back health.

Don't wait.
Start your recovery today.

The sooner you begin treatment after an accident, the better your outcome. We're here to handle everything — from your first evaluation to your final session — so you can focus on healing.

Schedule an Appointment

Or call / text us: 650-735-1716