Whiplash

The term whiplash represents a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck.
Whiplash is commonly associated with motor vehicle accidents, usually when the vehicle has been hit in the rear however the injury can be sustained in many other ways, including falls from bicycles or horses, during a roller coaster ride or during sports, like skiing accidents.

Symptoms

The injury itself is usually a tear/stress of soft tissues in the neck caused by sudden, forceful movement. Symptoms may occur immediately, or the injury may not be recognized until hours or even days after the trauma occurred. A whiplash injury victim may experience one or more of a variety of symptoms: muscle spasms, cervical spine pain, headaches, shoulder/neck pain, nausea, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, dizziness, concussion, limited range of motion, numbness, or reduced ability to hold the head erect.

The extent of the injury depends upon not only the severity of the actual accident, but of any potentially complicating factors experienced before the accident, such as a previous spinal injury or surgery, advanced age, congenital spinal problems, etc.

Recovery

Again, it depends on the factors mentioned above: severity of injury, needed treatment, and length of time between accident and professional evaluation. On your first visit to the clinic we will perform a number of tests which will help us estimating the time of recovery. By determining the appropriate level of treatment , recovery time is kept to a minimum.

We have dealt with whiplash many times and know how to deal with lawyers and insurance companies. Give us a call, we would love to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Taking a painkiller helps, so why choose chiropractic?

< Although painkillers do ease of the pain, they do not unfortunately deal with the possible underlying problem of this pain, which can be a lack of motion between the vertebrae. So, although you might experience less pain, the problem can actually slowly worsen making it more difficult to treat and resolve.

How does chiropractic work?

< The cause of a lot of different complaints lies within the spine. When a spinal joint doesn't move properly, it will have an effect on the surrounding tissues attaching to these joints, like muscles and ligaments. These muscles and ligaments tense up and might cause even more pain. By restoring motion of the spine, using gentle and specific adjustments, the motion of the spine is restored. When motion is restored, joints start to ache less, muscles and ligaments relax and blood flow is increased. Chiropractic does not involve the use of any drugs or surgery and helps the body heal itself.

Do all headaches originate from the neck?

< No, not all headaches originate from the vertebrae and muscles in the neck. As stated before there are numerous causes for a headache. That is why we do a thorough examination to identify the most likely cause.

How can I get a headache originating from the neck when I've had no trauma?

< There are numerous causes for lack of motion of the cervical spine leading to headache. Emotions or prolonged poor posture are amongst the most frequent causes. But slips and falls or accidents in the past might also be a cause for headache, since the body might have been able to adapt for a long time.

Is it going to hurt?

< No, it is not. During an adjustment a very careful, gentle and specific force is used to restore motion of spine. We use just the right amount of force to restore motion. You might hear a "popping sound" which is merely air escaping from the joint. This popping noise is similar to the noise you hear when "cracking" your fingers, and it doesn't hurt. You are in safe hands, we have given many thousands of adjustments.

What can I do?

< A lot!! The treatment plan set by us involves you in a big way. Results will come a lot faster if you comply to the advise given. As soon as possible, we will give you exercises for you to do at home, again to speed up recovery and advise you on activities like walking or swimming which help to prevent future episodes of pain.