Vehicular collisions often result in whiplash. Whiplash happens faster than we can voluntary contract the muscles in our body in order to protect ourselves from injury. Whiplash happens when we are traveling at a significant speed followed by a sudden deceleration, the degree of the injury varies as it depends on a variety of factors. Various factors such as the road conditions, the size of the patient’s neck, the position of the neck and head during the impact, the position of the headrest, vehicle’s size and etc, all play a role on the severity of the injury. Each of these factors are taken into consideration in order to formulate a personalized and effective approach in treating the injury.
The movement of the head is dictated by the impact’s direction. A rear end collision, the force is coming from behind which results in the head whipping front to back.
Pain can be experienced in various places around the neck, back, chest, arms, and or the neck. Day to day activities can be inhibited by whiplash injuries.
When a person suffers whiplash as a result of a vehicular accident, they may be able to seek the professional help of a chiropractor. Other people make a trip to the chiropractor their first stop after the injury and some will choose to let some time pass before they take a visit and or after they have already seen other healthcare specialists. Whether you see a chiropractor immediately or after some time has passed, it is no doubt that a chiropractor will be the best at providing you with the proper treatment and advice.
The session with the chiropractor will begin with them asking you about the history of your accident, the pain, and any possible disabilities. What happens next will be an examination of a person’s range of movement and motion with specific emphasis on the neck. The chiropractor will also check for any tenderness and or spasms of the neck muscles. They will also check the ligaments of the patient’s neck to see if they are damage which would then indicate a sprain. Other following tests would include checking the nerves to see whether or not they have been damaged or pinched. X-rays of the patients neck will then be taken at various angles and positions in order to see whether or not there are any fractures, dislocations, and or other serious damage to the bone.
There are a number of different chiropractic care approaches and treatment options for managing whiplash injuries, these options are offered by any whiplash injury clinic. There are also manual therapies such as mobilization, manual traction, spinal manipulation, muscle stimulation, and other excercises.