Whiplash is a very uncomfortable condition that occurs when the neck is damaged through quick movement. Learn how to tell if you have whiplash and how to treat it if you do.
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash, simply put, is injury to the neck through abrupt movement. More specifically, whiplash is a condition that happens when invertebral joints, discs, nerve roots, or muscles become damaged through intense and sudden neck movement. This typically happens in car accidents, and may sometimes occur while riding roller coasters. You may realize that you have whiplash if you have a sore neck, headaches, difficulty concentrating, and or lower back issues because along with neck injury, this also affects the spine. Note that whiplash symptoms may not start appearing until after 24 hours after the initial trauma occurs.
Treatment Options
There are varying degrees of whiplash. Some instances may only require certain medications and would not require a chiropractor's assistance at all. However, there are some instances where physical therapy will be required to make a full recovery. The more simple treatments include medication, muscle relaxants, or maybe even injections to soothe pain while the neck naturally heals while the neck rests. Or, there is the possibility of needing physical therapy, where doctors may suggest you go to a physical therapist to learn muscle strengthening exercises and other routines to help your neck align and heal. It would be advisable to get a foam collar in order to make sure you are not straining your neck while you are in recovery.
There are additional and less conventional ways to treating whiplash, and some of these treatments include acupuncture, massaging, and a process called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). The last process uses a machine to send small shock waves to the skin. These methods do not have much research to support them, but some of them may work depending on the individual and if the individual is willing to try them.
Recovery
While in recovery, there are certain things you can do to go through the process as painlessly as possible. Doctors firstly will suggest rest, meaning that you should rest in bed or not turn your neck as often as you can help it. You may also want to apply ice or heat to the affected area if you have already taken medication and are waiting for the medicine to take effect. It is incredibly important that you go easy on your neck as you are undergoing treatment so that your neck will heal completely.
To learn more about whiplash treatment, contact a chiropractor like Contino Chiropractic Center.
Share30 September 2015
One day, in the middle of helping my kids to clean up the house, I lifted a box weird and threw out my back. It was frustrating, but I assumed that it would go away on its own. I was wrong. After trying everything I could think of to resolve the problem, my back still hurt and I couldn't stand up straight. After a week of suffering, I made the decision to meet with a chiropractor. He inspected my back, took x-rays, and figured out that I had slipped a disc. I started a grueling physical therapy routine, but after a few days, things started to improve. Read this blog to learn more about chiropractors.
