An Overview of Chiropractic Care for Whiplash Injuries after an Auto Accident

If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, there are a number of injuries that you might suffer. Sometimes, symptoms of injuries following a car collision do not show up until the next day. One of the most common issues that you might develop is called whiplash. This is the medical term used to describe a sprain of the cervical ligaments. The good news is that a chiropractor can address whiplash, helping you make a quick, comprehensive recovery.

How Does Whiplash Happen?

Whiplash takes place when you sprain one or more of the ligaments in your neck. When you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, your neck sometimes snaps back and forth quickly. This shocks the ligaments, tendons, and nerves in your neck. Therefore, your neck stiffens up in response, severely restricting the range of motion in your neck until your ligaments relax again.

What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?

If you have developed whiplash, there are a few symptoms that you might notice. These include:

• You may develop stiffness and discomfort in your neck

• You may also notice pain that travels from your neck into your upper back, arms, and shoulders

• You could develop vertigo or dizziness

• You may feel like there is a vice squeezing your head, particularly in the back

• You might have a hard time concentrating during the day

These symptoms can have a serious impact on your overall quality of life. Fortunately, a trained chiropractor can help you address these issues.

Chiropractic Treatment of Whiplash

There are a few ways that a chiropractor can help you treat whiplash. A few techniques that might play a role include:

• Chiropractic Adjustments: This is the main tool that chiropractors will use to help you recover from whiplash. A chiropractor will identify specific joints in your neck that might not be appropriately aligned. Then, using gentle, controlled thrusts, the chiropractor will move these joints back into place, helping your tendons, ligaments, and joints relax.

• Muscle Stimulation: Muscle stimulation and relaxation are critical tools that are designed to treat muscles that might have been strained by whiplash. When the muscles in your neck experience repeated contractions, this causes your neck to feel tight. Using specific techniques, chiropractors will help your muscles relax, easing tension in your neck.

• Corrective Exercises: Using corrective exercises such as McKenzie exercises, chiropractors can help you address disc instability issues that might arise following whiplash. This can help your correct faulty movement patterns that could be present in your neck.

• Ergonomic Advice: Finally, the goal of chiropractors is to help you prevent these symptoms from coming back. Chiropractors will also help you by providing you with advice, exercises, and techniques that you can use at home to expedite the recovery process and help you feel better.

The goal of a chiropractor is to tailor his or her services to meet your unique needs. Therefore, some or all of these treatment techniques might play a role in your recovery. That way, a chiropractor can help you not only treat the symptoms on the surface but also address the underlying cause of whiplash.

Rely on a Chiropractor To Help You Recover from Whiplash

If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident, then you need to seek medical care as quickly as possible. If you have been diagnosed with whiplash, then you should work with a chiropractor who can help you develop a treatment plan that has been tailored to meet your needs. That way, you can recover as quickly and as completely as possible. So give us a call. We’re here to help!

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