How Is Whiplash Treated By A Chiropractor?
Whether it’s sustained during a rear-end vehicular collision or is the result of a traumatic injury, whiplash is no laughing matter. When you’re in pain, you want relief as quickly as possible; conservative, non-surgical chiropractic treatment may be the answer.
What is Whiplash?
Most people associate whiplash injuries with car accidents, and they’re not wrong; it’s one of the leading causes of this particular injury. Whiplash is a neck injury that results from a sudden and forceful movement of the neck in a back-and-forth motion, and it’s also considered a relatively minor condition by those who have never experienced the pain it can cause. In addition to pain and stiffness in the neck, patients suffering from whiplash may also experience a significant loss in the range of motion, headaches, pain in the shoulders, arms and upper back, dizziness and blurred vision.
In some cases, whiplash can even cause sleep disturbances, have a negative effect on patients’ ability to concentrate, cause difficulty with memory and even depression. Most of the time symptoms set in within twenty-four hours of an incident but may sometimes take longer to appear. Obtaining treatment quickly after an accident can result in faster recovery times and a significant reduction in pain, and chiropractic care is often the best line of defense against lingering pain and spinal complications.
CHIROPRACTIC WHIPLASH TREATMENT
There are multiple treatment techniques a chiropractor might use in order to help treat whiplash, but each case of whiplash is unique, and chiropractic treatment is customized to the individual needs of each patient. Some cases of whiplash will present with debilitating pain that interferes dramatically with daily activity, and some patients might feel less pain and more restriction of movement. For the former, some manual manipulation and spinal adjustment techniques may be too painful, and the latter may not find the relief they need through gentler techniques.
In addition to the treatment of spinal misalignments, whiplash treatment through a chiropractor may also include techniques designed to either stimulate or relax specific muscles, special exercises and even lifestyle changes that can help to support patients whose injuries are impeding their lifestyle. It’s also important to note that patients with existing lower back or neck pain, older patients and those who’ve experienced whiplash before tend to have worse outcomes; a chiropractor will consider these factors as well when tailoring a treatment plan to the needs of a patient suffering from whiplash.
When you’re in a car accident or have an experience that leaves you with whiplash, working with a chiropractor promptly can help to speed recovery time, relieve pain and help you address misalignments and subluxations with the potential to interfere with your entire nervous system, all as a result of a single traumatic incident. A non-surgical and conservative approach to the treatment of the musculoskeletal system, chiropractic care can help you regain range of motion and reduce pain without pills or invasive procedures. Though prompt treatment is always better, a skilled and knowledgeable chiropractor can also treat older whiplash injuries, as well.
