How a Chiropractic Clinic Can Treat Whiplash Caused By Car Accidents

Car accidents are both emotionally and physically stressful. One of the most common car-crash injuries is whiplash or neck injury. A whiplash can either be a neck sprain or strain, both signify damage to the intervertebral joints, ligaments, discs, cervical muscles, and nerves. Those suffering from whiplash should learn more about the injury and how a visit to the chiropractic clinic can result in an effective treatment for it.

Symptoms of Whiplash

Whiplash symptoms may not appear immediately. Instead, the signs of injury may manifest a day or more after the car accident. People who have whiplash may show one or more of these symptoms: headaches, stiffness and pain in the neck, dizziness, low back pain, shoulder pain, irritability, and fatigue. Other symptoms include pain in the arm and/or hand, sleep disturbances, and problems in remembering or concentrating. Symptoms such as these can significantly impact daily functions, whether you are going to school or to work, or even staying at home trying to catch up on rest.

Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash

There is no single treatment that is scientifically proven as effective for all kinds of whiplashes, though patients have reported the effectiveness of several kinds of treatments, including chiropractic therapies.

Once you visit a chiropractor, he or she will first evaluate your spine as a whole and then identify any area of restricted motion or injury to the intervertebral disc, muscles, and ligaments. Afterward, the chiropractor will ask you to walk so that your posture as well as your spinal alignment can be assessed. Collected information lends to understanding your body’s musculoskeletal functions. Moreover, a chiropractor may order an x-ray or MRI of the spine to determine possible degenerative changes. The results of your physical and neurological evaluations, plus diagnostics, provide essential information that will then guide the treatment plan.

After conducting a diagnosis, a chiropractor may start with addressing neck inflammation through therapeutic modalities. Some gentle stretching, followed by manual therapy techniques, may be conducted during this time. Once the neck shows less swelling and the pain subsides, a chiropractor can perform gentle spinal manipulation to help restore motion to your neck's spinal joints.

Furthermore, depending on the severity of the injury, a chiropractor may apply spinal manipulations such as the flexion-distraction technique, instrument-assisted manipulation, or specific spinal manipulation for pain management and improved spinal movement. A chiropractor might also include manual therapy to treat injured soft tissues. Other therapies include interferential electrical stimulation to decrease inflammation and ultrasound to improve blood circulation.

Whiplashes are painful and stressful. If you experience constant or recurring neck pain due to whiplash, consider seeing a chiropractor clinic that can offer appropriate nonsurgical treatment options for proper care and pain relief.

Sources:

“Chiropractic Care for Whiplash,” spineuniverse.com
“Whiplash,” webmd.com

Dr. Darren Faherty D.C.

In 2004, Dr. Darren Faherty graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from UWEC - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Dr. Darren continued education at the highly esteemed University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) where he obtained his chiropractic degree in 2007. He has been helping people recover from injuries and return to their normal lifestyles ever since.