Whiplash can be a complex injury, with tissue strains and sprains, and it may be accompanied by concussion and neurological symptoms. Auto accidents are perhaps the most common cause, though whiplash is also caused by falling, sports injuries, and physical abuse.
As car accident injury specialists, Zachary Dillow, DC, and his team at Active Care Chiropractic and Rehabilitation access every modality they can to treat their patients with whiplash. Today, we’ll look at how chiropractic care in particular helps treat the damage and symptoms that commonly accompany this injury.
Your neck balances the weight of the skull at the top of your body. While the muscles and other soft tissue of the neck and shoulders handle the loads normally needed to maintain posture, a whiplash injury from a car accident vastly multiplies these forces, particularly when your vehicle is hit from behind.
The snapping motion of the head after such an impact has the potential to damage a wide range of tissue, from ligaments, muscles, and tendons, to spinal discs and vertebrae of the neck. There’s almost always a combination of injuries, even from low-speed collisions, and because the brain is involved, symptoms can be unique and unpredictable.
The first priority after an auto accident is ensuring there are no broken bones or other internal injuries. Once these are ruled out, we can evaluate your musculoskeletal condition.
You may find little discomfort or pain immediately after your accident. Sometimes, whiplash symptoms take days or even longer to appear. Some of the most common of these are:
We first assess you with a physical exam to pinpoint issues like:
Damage from whiplash that involves nerves branching from your spinal cord can create symptoms anywhere along the nerve’s path.
Lost motion, tenderness, pain, and swelling can tell us much about your injuries, informing our recommendations for a treatment plan.
Chiropractic adjustments, using a variety of approaches and techniques, seek to restore your musculoskeletal system to a balanced and neutral state. This can take a series of sessions to complete, though many patients feel relief from their first session.
These adjustments promote blood flow and nerve release, improving the rate of healing while reducing pain and minimizing inflammation.
Depending on your condition and symptoms, we may also recommend other therapies, including:
We may also recommend massage and physical therapy when we believe these can shorten your recovery time.
Every whiplash injury requires personalized care. Contact Active Care Chiropractic and Rehabilitation at the nearest of our six locations — Lafayette Hill, the Main Line, East Falls, Elkins Park, Manayunk and Hatfield Pennsylvania — online or by phone, to book your appointment now.
