Whiplash

Not a day goes by that we don’t see someone involved in a car accident.  It could be something as minor as a parking lot mishap to a serious multi-car pile up on an expressway.  Motor vehicles, and the mechanisms inside it are designed to keep us safe from injury.  While we are fortunate to benefit from these lifesaving measures, there is still a price we pay for being involved in a car accident.

The impact of one vehicle hitting another is absorbed by not only the car itself, but by those who happen to be inside of it, regardless of the speed the car is traveling.  The person inside the vehicle is also thrust forward, backward, or side to side – especially their head which is not restrained by a seatbelt like the torso. This sudden, jarring motion, known as whiplash, causes havoc on the muscles and tendons in the neck as well as the rest of the body.

So how do you know you suffer from whiplash, especially after a minor car collision?  Here are some of the symptoms to look for…and remember, some may feel these issues immediately following an accident, while others may not feel the effects for days or weeks afterwards.

• Neck pain
• Headaches
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Shoulder pain
• Arm pain
• Lower back pain
• Neck stiffness
• Reduced range of motion in the neck
• Tenderness

Left untreated, the effects of whiplash can cause long-term pain.  A Doctor of Chiropractic is specialized in the care of the musculoskeletal and the nervous systems, which a car accident tends to disrupt.

Scheduling a visit with a chiropractor at the onset of any of the above symptoms will help to heal the damage done to the body, minimize pain and discomfort, and prevent additional trauma.  In addition to spinal adjustments, your doctor will prescribe an exercise or stretching program, rehabilitation, and massage.  Listening to your body, yet remaining active, is key to recovery.  Your body will tell you if you’ve pushed it too far after suffering from whiplash.  It’s important, though, that you don’t let the pain immobilize you.

Building your strength every day will bring you back to wellness.