How A Chiropractor Can Help with Whiplash Injuries
Whiplash is very common for people who have experienced some kind of vehicular or sports accident. Approximately 30 million Americans suffer from whiplash injury every year. While this condition is so widespread, the traditional treatment for whiplash is yet to be proven effective. Many studies have found that chiropractic treatment is a great way to tackle the symptoms of whiplash.
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a form of neck injury that occurs from a sudden “whipped” movement of the neck. This injury can occur because of a car accident, sports injury, fall, or other injuries. Whiplash can also occur from simple neck jostling in a crowd. Any sudden backward or forward movement of the head or neck that regular muscle movements can not respond to can cause whiplash. This injury of the soft tissue of the neck can result in stiffness of neck, shoulder, chest, and headaches. Oftentimes, patients suffer for a long term after a whiplash injury. If remain untreated this can cause chronic pain and permanent damage to the nervous system.
Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash Injuries
Chiropractic treatment for whiplash depends on the severity of a patient’s symptoms. As each patient’s case is different from another, the treatment varies for each case. There are several common methods that are used for whiplash injuries. Some of the widely used chiropractic treatments for whiplash are:
1. Spinal Manipulation
In this method, chiropractors move the injured joint towards the direction in which the joint resists. The movement is done gently and carefully so it restores joint movements without disturbing it. This method can be done by hand or by some hand-held instruments. This gentle manipulation is extremely good at stretching the soft tissue and restoring normal movements of the joint.
2. Manual Therapy
This process involves therapeutic massage, soft tissue therapy, trigger point therapy, and manual joint stretching treatment. This process scopes out the disturbed muscle or ligament and restores it to its normal condition by gentle stretching and finger pressure.
3. Electrical Stimulation and Ultrasound
Electrical stimulation involves stimulation of the neck muscles using low frequency current. Ultrasound can be helpful to relieve neck stiffness and spasms, as it sends sound waves through the muscle. These treatments are extremely helpful to reduce neck inflammation.
4. McKenzie Exercise
McKenzie exercise helps in case of a disc imbalance. The patient takes on an active role in this treatment. This exercise involves simple movements of the injured discs under the guidance of a good chiropractor. If the chiropractor suggests, this exercise can also be done by the patient at home.
5. Stabilization and Sensory Motor Activities
These activities are devised to adjust the faulty posture and movement pattern of daily life. A whiplash patient may undergo some discomfort while maintaining day to day activities. This can happen both for a major whiplash case, like a motor vehicle accident, or a minor case, like a simple fall or jostling of the neck. Stabilization helps to improve movement patterns and neck muscles of a whiplash patient.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, 26 out of every 28 people with whiplash conditions are reported to benefit from chiropractic treatment. By comparison to the traditional method of whiplash treatment, the outcome of the chiropractic method is incredibly good. So, if you are experiencing some whiplash syndrome, you should try chiropractic treatment today, from a whiplash specialist like LifeCare Chiropractic in Mesa, AZ.
Thank you to Lifecare Chiropractic for their insight into whiplash and chiropractic care.
