You met an accident and now you are suffering from whiplash. It is quite common to suffer from whiplash if you have been in an accident where your neck feels a sudden forward and backward movement. This ends up damaging the soft tissues in the neck hence you can suffer from internal injuries. The intensity of the injury completely depends upon the severity of the jerk.
Symptoms
Impact of a Whiplash injury is long-lasting if left untreated. Since it is an internal injury with no sudden symptoms, people often tend to neglect to visit the doctor with the thought that it will go away.
Some of the common symptoms that depict that a person is suffering from whiplash are:
- Dizziness and constant headache
- Blurred vision and divided focus
- Chronic pain in the shoulders
- Reduced range of motion in the neck
- Ringing in ears
Treatment for whiplash
Whiplash certainly does not require surgery to be fixed. Simple medications a few tests and you are good to go. What if someone does not like to get a drug-oriented treatment for a common injury?
They always have the option to go to a chiropractor.
Chiropractors and Whiplash
Chiropractors are the magicians of treating neuro-musculoskeletal disorders without the help of medicines and drugs. Just like other chiropractic treatments, the treatment for whiplash is unique for each person and the type of treatment is decided after the basic chiropractic examination.
Common Chiropractor Treatments
Some of the most common treatments that a chiropractor would imply on their patient are
- Stimulation and relaxation of muscles
- Muscular exercises
- Whiplash Manipulation
- Basic changes in lifestyle
Stimulation and Relaxation of Muscles
Before he will jump to more complex treatments, your chiropractor will begin with a basic treatment to relax and stimulate the muscle dysfunction after a whiplash. The whole process comprises of gentle stretches and muscle focused tension-releasing movements.
This will help the tightened up muscles open up and restore their usual range of motion. In case, the tension is too high, he will have to use the finger pressure techniques to the relevant trigger points.
Muscle Exercises
He can apply a range of exercises that reduce the derangement and tightening of muscles. Some of the most common exercises for this matter are the McKenzie exercises. These exercises train and teach your nervous system to improve communication with the affected muscles.
Whiplash Manipulation
The spinal manipulation of whiplash is a treatment method where the chiropractor manipulates the spine by moving the affected joints in the direction where the patient feels a restraint to move.
Lifestyle changes
A chiropractor will prescribe his patients changing basic lifestyle for everyday routine. These changes may begin from creating minimal pressure and strain on the body and then you can move to higher volumes of activities in the routine.
Importance of Treatment
As mentioned above, whiplash is one of the most neglected injuries of all time. However, the neglected impact of a whiplash injury can lead to long-term problems. Seeking treatment right after the accident is the best way to prevent whiplash.