One of the most common car accident injuries is known as whiplash. A whiplash injury can affect your spine and soft tissues, which can cause you pain and discomfort for weeks or even months. Many people don’t realize that you can suffer a whiplash injury even from a low-impact collision like a fender-bender. If the force of impact led to sudden jerking movements of your head and neck then you may have whiplash. When your head snaps forward and backward quickly and violently, it can strain the neck muscles and ligaments that help support your spine. Avoid the risk of chronic pain or complications from a whiplash injury by visiting a doctor as soon as possible after a car accident.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Whiplash symptoms can be tricky because they may not appear right away. In fact, many people don’t recognize symptoms of an injury after a car accident. This phenomenon is known as delayed symptoms and is thought to occur because of the adrenaline that is coursing through your body at the time of the accident. The shock and stress of such a traumatic event may mask your symptoms initially and keep you from experiencing pain right away. However, you may start to experience head and neck pain in the hours after the accident. Neck pain, soreness, and tenderness are common with whiplash. You may also experience headaches, muscle stiffness, and difficulty moving your head in certain directions.
How Whiplash Affects You
If you have suffered a whiplash injury, then your pain and other symptoms may start to impact your daily life if left untreated. As the injury sets in, your neck muscles that were strained during the accident may become sore and stiff. Stiffness in the muscles and tendons in your neck will restrict certain movements or make them painful. For example, you may start to notice that turning your head to look over one shoulder or the other has become a painful experience. Whiplash can also cause recurring headaches that are uncomfortable and interrupt your day. Some people also experience dizziness and fatigue after a whiplash injury, which can also disrupt your day and keep you from performing certain tasks or activities.
Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash
If you were assessed at the scene of the accident, then you may have spoken with paramedics or even visited an urgent care or emergency room. In these cases, doctors will typically address your presenting symptoms and injuries, but then you will need to find another doctor for further treatment and recovery work. Car accident chiropractors can also diagnose whiplash injuries and work with these types of injuries regularly. The good news is that whiplash from a car accident is treatable and people experience effective pain relief and treatment through chiropractic care.
Chiropractic treatment for whiplash will involve addressing any spinal damage, soft tissue damage, and decrease in range of motion. If you have any misalignments in your spine, then your chiropractor will perform adjustments to resolve these and restore proper posture. A healthy and properly aligned spine will allow the brain to effectively communicate with the rest of the body through the nervous system. Your chiropractor will also want to address any muscle strains or tears, including any associated swelling and inflammation. Applying ice to the area will help soothe the sore, aching muscles and reduce inflammation, while applying heat will also soothe muscles and promote movement. Neck pain can cause a decrease in your range of motion, so your chiropractor may want to assess how your mobility has been affected by the injury. Then, your chiropractor will want to address your decreased range of motion and help you regain strength and stability in your neck.
Length of Treatment for Whiplash
The length of your treatment for whiplash will depend on how severely the injury has impacted you. Whiplash is an extremely common car accident injury, but it affects each person differently. The period of time it takes for you to recover may also depend on the severity of the crash and the damage to your body. Most people experience full healing and resolved symptoms within six months. In more severe cases or when treatment has been delayed, people may experience chronic pain for years. In order to avoid chronic pain from a whiplash injury, get started as soon as possible with our team at Accident Doctors for whiplash treatment.
