“Whiplash defined by The Mayo Clinic is a neck injury due to a forceful, rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, like the cracking of a whip. Whiplash most often occurs during a rear-end auto accident, but the injury can also result from a sports accident, physical abuse or another form of trauma”.
Patients who have a whiplash injury treated immediately suffer significantly less long-term effects than those who delay treatment or receive no treatment at all. Long-term effects of untreated whiplash are chronic pain and loss of function, permanent damage to the vertebrae and nervous system, as well as accelerated degeneration of the cervical spine. This is why visiting the chiropractor for proper diagnosis and treatment is vitally important to the immediate and long-term health of the patient. The symptoms of a neck strain (whiplash) can vary in terms of onset and severity.
Here are some of the symptoms that may or may not become present in your case of whiplash:
• A reduction in ability to move the neck
• Neck stiffness and pain
• Pain in arms and hands
• Muscle spasms
• Dizziness and/or vertigo
• Fatigue
• Blurred or altered vision
• Ringing in ears
• Sleep disturbances
• Numbness or a pins and needles feeling in the arms and hands
Soon after the trauma occurs, the chiropractor will work on reducing neck inflammation using various therapy modalities (i.e., ultrasound), gentle stretching, and manual therapy techniques (i.e., muscle energy therapy, a type of stretching). Our chiropractor may also recommend you apply an ice pack on your neck and/or a light neck support to use for a short period of time. As your neck starts to become less and less inflamed and the pain begins to decrease, our chiropractor will perform gentle spinal manipulation and/or other techniques to restore normal motion to your neck's spinal joints. Using these types of chiropractic techniques, a chiropractor will help you increase your daily activities once again. A Chiropractor will be dedicated in order to address any mechanical or neurological causes of your underlying pain and issues caused by the neck strain.
As you begin to go through your healing process with a Chiropractor, you may not see each of these techniques used. Every case of neck strain (whiplash) comes with its own set of symptoms. Sometimes the severity of the injury prevents any Chiropractor from using a spinal adjustment method; it would be too harsh on the affected areas and sore muscles. With a Chiropractor’s arsenal of treatment plans, you’ll be in the best of hands!
Chiropractors "have your back"… literally, and figuratively. By using several different treatment techniques, Chiropractors can assist in relieving pain, and encourage healing in the affected areas.
- Chiropractic Adjustment: By performing spinal manipulation, via short thrusts or slower movements, Chiropractors can gently move the involved joint towards the restricted area. This helps create mobility and encourages healing.
- Muscle Relaxation and Muscle Stimulation: With calm gentle stretches to the affected muscles, Chiropractors can relieve tension. Sometimes these stretches are also combined with 'finger pressure techniques' on certain pressure points to relieve pain.