Whiplash Treatment
Whiplash can be defined as any injury to the neck caused by a sudden movement of the head, backwards, forwards, or sideways. Whether from a car accident, sports, or an accident at work, whiplash or other neck injuries warrant a thorough chiropractic check-up. The biggest danger with whiplash injuries is that the symptoms can take from months to years to develop. Too often people don’t seek treatment until more serious complications develop. Even after whiplash victims settle their insurance claims, some 45% report they still suffer with symptoms two years later.
In the past a typical whiplash injury, where no bones were broken, were hard to document. Soft tissue injury didn’t show up on normal x-rays/radiographs. Today’s imaging devices (CAT Scans, MRI and Ultra Sound) now show soft tissue injuries with much greater detail.
Whenever someone has a whiplash injury, there are typical symptoms that one may experience.
When there are no bones broken and the head doesn’t strike the windshield, the following symptoms are the most common:
Neck pain, which typically starts two hours up to two days after the accident. This is often the result of tightened muscles that react to either muscle tears or joint sprains.
Headache. The pain may be on one side or both, on again off again or constant, in one spot or more general. These headaches, like the neck pain, are often the result of strained, tense muscles trying to keep the sprained cervical joints of the neck stable. They pain of these headaches are often felt at the back of the head, forehead, temples, and behind the eyes.
Shoulder pain often described as pain radiating down the back of the neck into the shoulder blade area, may also be the result of tensed muscles.
Muscle tears are often described as achy pain, where nerves cause a shap, shooting pain, burning sensation, prickling or tingling.
A more severe injury, such as disc damage or herniation, may cause sharp pain with certain movements, with or without radiation into the arms, hand and fingers, which are relieved by holding your hand over your head.
Other symptoms that one may feel after a whiplash injury are blurred vision, difficulty swallowing, irritability, fatigue, dizziness, pain between the shoulder blades, low back pain and/or stiffness, nausea, ringing in the ears, vertigo, numbness and tingling, pain in the jaw or face.
If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important get a check up by the chiropractor. Dr. Steven Pierce, D.C. at Pierce Chiropractic in Jacksonville, Texas is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of these types of conditions. I specilaize in the treatment of back, neck, arm and leg pain caused in these types of injuries. You do not need a referral from your medical doctor. Once a proper examination is performed and an accurate diagnosis is made, safe and conservative chiropractic treatment can commence.