WHIPLASH AND NECK PAIN
Whiplash is an injury to the neck that is very common. They can happen as a result of an abrupt whipping motion of the head in under a second. The motion is typically a forward to backward movement, vice versa, or side to side.
The neck is put under an extreme, quick force, thereby stretching the ligaments of your neck bones beyond its elasticity point, resulting in a severe, painful injury, called a cervical sprain.
The muscles are also put under extreme tension and stretch beyond normal length, leading to a strain of the muscles and tendons, of the head, neck, and even upper back.
It is commonly seen in auto accidents and driving mishaps that involve the victims of the accident to be rammed from the rear to ignite the ‘back and forth movements’. Whiplash does not only occur from car accidents, even though it is the most common cause.
For sport athletes – both amateur and professional – they are prone to receiving whiplash. This could be due to a head to head collision, a fall during practice or actual game play, and even just bumping into a hard surface.
For children, it could result from a jolly ride on a swing at the park, or even worse, from a force, such as an assault. The pain from a whiplash injury ranges from mild to severe, depending on whether the victim was looking over their shoulder, aware of the oncoming collision, or even wearing their seatbelt.
Until recently, the reason for the severity of the injuries wasn’t fully understood, but advances in cervical spine research have led to new discoveries, which, in turn, have helped physicians develop more effective ways of treating whiplash, including chiropractic techniques.
WHAT ARE WHIPLASH SYMPTOMS?
In most cases, pain is not felt immediately; some symptoms take several days after an accident before they are felt. So what are the symptoms? In mild cases of whiplash, the person can feel:
- Some form of stiffness in the neck region, and most cases, neck pain.
- Dizziness, or feels like the world is spinning.
- Headaches
- Pain or stiffness around the shoulder blades
- Back/Spine Pain
- Tiredness
- Jaw Pain
- Tingling or numbness in their arms or legs.
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
However, with cases that are very severe, or chronic cases of whiplash, the signs and symptoms they see are:
- Depression
- Frustration
- Some people have serious insomnia (sleep disturbances)
- Drug dependency due to pain killers
- Anger
- Stress
- Blurred vision for some people
- Irritability
- Difficulty concentrating or memory problems.
HOW TO TREAT WHIPLASH
Whiplash injuries appear with different symptoms; in order to treat them properly, it is advised to visit a doctor for treatment options. Some treatment options include:
- Good posture cannot be over-emphasized. If a patient that suffers from whiplash doesn’t have a good neck and back posture, it is as good as saying ‘good-bye to helping your symptoms’. Always have a good posture while you work, while sitting, standing, or walking. Always maintain a your head even with your shoulder so that you do not stress the muscles and ligaments in your neck and back.
- The application of slight pressure with a cryotherapy (cold pack) on the swelling as soon as possible after the injury for as long as twenty minutes a few times per day will help reduce the pain. To prevent freezer burn or injury to the skin, use a towel between your skin and the ice pack.
- Neck braces / collars can be used for severe whiplash symptoms. Braces, in the short term, can help relax the neck muscles to help minimize the pain and symptoms. Long-term use of a neck collar can lead to muscle deconditioning (atrophy/wasting).
- Physical therapy exercises to help rehabilitate the muscles or the neck and back. The less time a neck brace is used, the quicker the recovery time.
- For patients with depression, they will need quick treatment to the help them treat their emotional and psychological condition for it will help them to better understand their chances of getting healed and learning how to deal with it.
- For insomnia, resting regularly and permitting the muscles a chance to relax with good sleeping posture will help the symptoms too.
- Use painkillers or other drugs prescribed your doctor – one of the go-to-ways to treat whiplash is to use analgesics. Drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen can help with the pain in the neck region.
- Chiropractors can help manage symptoms from whiplash. Chiropractic adjustments help to realign the spine from subtle changes in joint positioning. This allows the natural healing process to occur by reducing muscle spasms, increasing ranges of motion, and improving muscle coordination.Spinal manipulation can decrease headaches, improve mood, and help people get the rest they need. This kind of care, in most cases is paired with physiotherapy for best results.
Each treatment is specific to the tissues damages and the symptoms experienced. To get the best results, it is recommended to start with conservative chiropractic care before rushing into any form of surgery or drugs. Healing takes time and getting the right care begins with the right diagnosis and treatment to getting your life back.