What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury that occurs when your neck is suddenly and forcefully jerked back and forth. It can result from forward, backward, or side-to-side movement. Whiplash damages the muscles, nerves, ligaments, and connective tissues in your neck and upper back along with the bones in the spine and the discs that cushion the spinal column.
What Causes Whiplash?
Rear-end car accidents are a common cause of whiplash, but injuries sustained in contact sports, falls, and other types of trauma can also cause it to occur.
Whiplash symptoms may not be immediately apparent following an accident or injury. In some cases, symptoms don't appear for weeks. Symptoms can sometimes go undetected and therefore untreated for quite some time. This means you should not assume that you are not injured if you have been involved in an auto accident or sustained an injury that jarred your head and neck.
What Are the Symptoms of Whiplash?
Whiplash injuries usually include:
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Pain that increases with movement
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull
- Decreased range of motion in the neck
- Fatigue
- Tingling in arms
- Tenderness in the upper back and shoulders
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Blurry vision
- Insomnia
- Ringing in the ears
Symptoms vary from person to person. If whiplash was caused by a traffic accident, the direction of impact, speed of the vehicles, as well as your age, gender, and physical condition will play a role in determining your symptoms.
The Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash
Whiplash injuries usually result in damage to your ligaments, muscles, tendons, and nervous system. It can also cause cervical spinal misalignments including dislocated vertebrae and herniated discs. These problems put pressure on the nerves that branch off from your spinal column, causing even more pain and discomfort.
Our team at Palmer Chiropractic Center works to restore your movement and correct the position of your vertebrae that was disrupted in the accident. By restoring vertebrae and discs to the correct positions, trapped nerve roots are released, resulting in pain-free function. Our office in Lynchburg uses manual manipulation, massage therapy, trigger point therapy, exercise rehab, and soft tissue rehab to address your whiplash injury.
Whiplash and Your Quality of Life
Some people recover from whiplash without medical intervention. However, for many, whiplash significantly impacts their quality of life. The symptoms of whiplash can linger for years if not treated soon after the accident. If you've been involved in an accident, contact us at (434) 237-2299 for an assessment.
