The number of whiplash injury by car accident always seem to escalate during the colder winter months when the highways often become icier and the drivers seemingly less careful.
There you are,driving your vehicle– then BAM! Now that you’ve been rear-ended you make a quick personal assessment, you seem fine… or are you?
Although you may feel fine, you may have received a serious injury called whiplash… a painful and very deceiving injury. Whiplash damage occurs when your neck is stretched back and forth beyond its natural range of motion. The neck is especially vulnerable to this kind of injury because of its ability to move in so many directions.
What’s interesting is that your vehicle didn’t even have to be moving very fast, as whiplash can, and does happen at speeds as low as 5 mph.
There may or may not be initial pain brought on by the accident. However, it is not uncommon for symptoms to develop over several hours, weeks, or even months. Therein lies the deception of a whiplash injury.
Whiplash And Neck Pain
Your neck has many muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and nerve endings. Whiplash can harm one, two, or all these vulnerable component parts.
Although whiplash is most often the result of a rear-end collision, whiplash can occur in several other situations like athletic activities such as football, gymnastics and many contact sports.
The neck may not be the only affected area as whiplash can often extend into other areas such as the upper back, shoulders and arms. Most likely, a whiplash victim will suffer from neck pain, headaches, numbness and tingling sensations, spasms and stiffness of muscles.
Chiropractic Care And Whiplash Recovery
Even if you don’t have any obvious or immediate symptoms after an accident, I would recommend that you find a chiropractor who specializes in car accident recovery as soon as possible. Only then can an assessment of the severity and recovery of whiplash injury be made.
A chiropractor will make an initial assessment of the extent of injury which may include x-rays. If the injury is assessed as whiplash related, a Chiropractor can begin a number of treatments to restore strength, function and mobility to the affected areas.
A Chiropractor will begin a treatment plan that will not only help relieve pain and restore strength to injured areas but can also show you how to add additional exercises and stretches to aid in the healing process.
Luckily, with time, the majority of people with whiplash injury fully recover… many within a few weeks. However, some individuals may have symptoms for longer periods. Your age, gender, and present physical condition can have a major impact on the severity and length of symptoms.
The good news is that research has shown that chiropractic has been a very effective approach to healing whiplash.
Preventing Whiplash Injury
There are steps you can take to minimize the risks of whiplash. Whenever you operate a vehicle, always be sure your seats are in an upright position with the seat headrest positioned properly and that seat belts are worn correctly on every ride.
If you take part in sporting activities, especially contact sports, make sure you wear appropriate and proper fitting equipment.
If you or someone you know has suffered whiplash injury or is experiencing neck or upper back pain, just know that chiropractic treatment is more than just making the pain disappear. It’s about helping you really recover from your injuries so that you can enjoy a pain free life again.
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