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Whiplash is an injury to the neck often caused by an auto accident.
It is often a sprain or strain in one or more of your neck muscles or other soft tissues.
Your soft tissues consist of muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
Muscles are made up of fibrous tissues that allow movement and maintain stabilization or position of certain body parts.
Ligaments are made up of connective tissues that help connect bones to other bones or bones to cartilage. Ligaments are responsible for holding the body's joints together.
Lastly, tendons are made up of strong fibrous collagen tissue that connects muscles to bone.
There are many of these tissues in the neck and spinal column, so when they are pulled and stretched, a whiplash injury is bound to occur.
A whiplash injury is sustained when the neck and head violently jerk forward and back.
The muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your neck that are vital to supporting and stabilizing your head are typically stretched well beyond their normal range of motion when a whiplash injury occurs.
Whiplash is classified as a soft tissue injury, which is the kind of injury normally treated by chiropractic doctors.
To learn more about the details of a whiplash injury, read the Complete Guide to Whiplash Injuries.
Whiplash injuries can happen anytime and anyway.
Typically, a strong force that is caused by some type of accident or injury is needed to cause that type of damage to the
Some of these accidents and injuries include:
Although whiplash is known to be caused by all of the above types of accidents, the most common by far, that chiropractors treat, is whiplash from rear-end collisions.
When a reckless driver strikes another vehicle from behind, it causes a strong force that is transferred to the driver and all of the passengers in the car.
Necks are forcefully thrown forward and then in a fast movement, quickly snapped back. This causes the neck to bend and stretch beyond its normal range.
This results in spinal discs, vertebrae, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and tendons in the neck to become damaged.
The neck is extremely vulnerable to whiplash injuries because it is flexible and able to move in so many different directions.
Unfortunately, if you were injured in a motor vehicle accident or other similar trauma, your whiplash symptoms may not present themselves for a few days, or even weeks.
Your body's coping mechanism for the trauma you just experienced is to release an abundance of hormones and adrenaline.
While attempting to do a good thing and mask your pain, your body's response could actually end up hurting you in the long run if you do not seek the treatment you need soon enough.
So, we recommend that you seek medical treatment after an accident of any kind, regardless of pain symptoms, just to make sure you did not suffer an injury that hasn't presented symptoms yet.
Common Whiplash Injury Symptoms:
Chronic Neck Pain or Long Term Whiplash Injury Symptoms:
Your Lake City chiropractor will determine if you have suffered a whiplash injury and diagnose your condition with a series of neurological, physical and diagnostic testing.
First, your doctor will ask you questions about your accident and any pain symptoms you may be experiencing. This will give him or her a better idea of the severity of your pain and the type of injury you may have suffered.
Next, the doctor will examine things like your range of motion, limb sensation, tenderness, and your reflexes. Sometimes they will have you perform tasks like walking, or observe your posture to determine what movements are restricted.
The final part of the examination process is the diagnostic imaging tests, such as x-rays and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI's).
X- rays are used to locate any possible fractures or dislocations in the spinal column. It is able to take images of your neck from many different angles, helping the doctor determine where your injury lies.
MRI scans are different because they detect soft tissue injuries instead of bone fractures. An MRI uses radio waves and a powerful magnet to look at the soft tissues and detect any damage.
After completing your exam, your chiropractor will be able to properly diagnose your condition and create a personalized treatment plan.
Your chiropractor will use natural treatment techniques to repair damage to your joints and soft tissues caused by the whiplash injury.
These natural techniques consist of manual and instrument assisted spinal adjustments.
The doctor will have you sit or lay down in the necessary position, and then they will place their hands, or the instrument, on the target area, applying a sudden force.
This may cause a pop or cracking noise which is completely normal and safe. It is simply the release of gas from your joint, the same as cracking your knuckles.
This type of treatment technique provides pain relief to whiplash injury patients and works best when combined with other therapies and exercise.
The extent of your whiplash injury will determine how long your recovery period will be. The more severe the injury, the more time it will take to heal.
Some minor whiplash injuries only take a few weeks to heal when receiving regular treatment. An average time frame for a whiplash injury is about three months for a full recovery.
If you have been injured in an accident and believe you have suffered a whiplash injury you should not wait any longer to seek the medical treatment you need.
Our medical doctors and chiropractors will work together to design a treatment plan that fits your individual needs.
Make sure your neck gets the treatment it needs after a whiplash injury, it could be the only way to avoid chronic neck pain and permanent tissue damage.
If you have experienced any of the symptoms listed above, then you need to contact our Lake City Chiropractic Clinic for a Free Accident Injury Consultation.
