Although generally associated with automobile accidents, any
impact or blow to the head that causes it to jolt back-and-forth can cause neck
strain, otherwise known as whiplash. The abrupt force stretches and often even
tears the muscles, tendons and other tissues in the neck. In fact, whiplash is the
most common type of injury as a result of an auto collision.
Symptoms of Whiplash
Whiplash is characterized by damage or injury to the
soft-tissues surrounding the cervical spine with different grades of severity.
Muscles, tendons, ligaments, discs, nerves, or a combination of these may be
harmed. Injuries to any of these soft-tissues can produce similar symptoms and
finding the correct diagnosis for the cause of your symptoms is essential
before seeking treatment for any whiplash-associated injuries. The symptoms of
this condition include, pain in the neck with decreased range of motion and
tightness. The muscles may often feel hard or knotted. Tenderness, pain with
normal head movements and headaches are also common whiplash symptoms. These
types of headaches are usually felt at the base of the skull and radiate towards
the forehead.
The symptoms generally occur immediately after the
automobile accident, but occasionally, these can take several hours or even
days to develop.
If you have been involved in a car crash, it’s important to
take prompt action in order to minimize the recovery time. According to
research presented at the World Congress on Neck Pain in Los Angeles, the
initial level of pain after a whiplash-related injury as well as psychological
factors, such as having positive expectations for getting better, can best
predict which individuals will recover quickly from whiplash.
Most cases will resolve in a matter of a few days while
others may take weeks or longer to heal. It’s always recommended to seek
professional medical attention after experiencing pain and discomfort, but in
the meantime, the individual can utilize home remedies to relieve their symptoms
while they begin their recovery process.
Cold and Heat Therapy
Applying ice therapy to the affected area can help reduce
the pain, inflammation and swelling immediately after the injury. Simply wrap
ice in a thin towel or cloth to prevent direct harm to the skin and place it
over the injury for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days. Only then,
after applying ice for 2-3 days, the individual can follow up by applying moist
heat to their neck. After the initial swelling has decreased, heat therapy also
helps reduce the pain while additionally decreasing stiffness, relieves muscle
spasms, and increases blood flow around the affected region.
The use of a neck brace or collar may occasionally be
recommended by a doctor to add support to the damaged cervical spine, however, these
are not suggested for long-term use as they can weaken the muscles in the neck
and inhibit a proper recovery to your neck. Furthermore, over-the-counter
painkillers or other drugs can also offer relief from the pain and swelling
related to whiplash injuries but these can have side effects and they should
only be used if specifically directed to do so by a doctor.
In between self-treating your whiplash symptoms, it’s
crucial to seek professional, medical attention for a diagnosis of the level of
injury and immediately begin treatment. While the above remedies have been
proven to be effective for relieving pain and discomfort associated with
whiplash, these are only meant to serve as temporary solutions. Addressing the
injury and treating it at the source is the best way to relieve the painful
symptoms.
Chiropractic Care for Whiplash
Chiropractic treatment is an effective and natural,
alternative healthcare option that is frequently used by individuals who’ve
been involved in an automobile accident. The chiropractic treatment plan
depends largely on the severity of the whiplash injury. The most common
chiropractic techniques are spinal adjustments and manual manipulations. These
techniques will help correct spinal misalignments which may have occurred in
the cervical spine, restoring the individual’s original range of motion,
alleviate muscle tension and reduce the inflammation around the neck caused by
whiplash. In addition to these treatments, a chiropractor may also recommend a
series of rehabilitation exercises to increase the strength of the tissues in
the neck, speeding up the recovery process.
How Chiropractic Works
Chiropractors look at the whole person when an injury or
condition is present, not just at the painful problem by itself. While emphasizing
on healing and prevention to promote long-term health, chiropractors view complications
uniquely to each patient in order to determine the best appropriate treatment
to ease the symptoms, ultimately helping them recover from their injuries as
quickly as possible and maintain overall health in the future.
Finding Strength with Physical Training & Chiropractic: A Client’s Story
Lauren Baldwin, never felt better about herself until after
she came to Dr. Alex Jimenez’s clinic and used the Push-as-Rx ®™ system.
Together with her husband, they came together to Push as Rx, where they were
able to bond and become stronger. Lauren Baldwin appreciates how thoughtful and
encouraging the trainers are, always making sure they are safe as well as
always making sure every person is achieving their goals to become the best
they can be.
Dr. Alex Jimenez’s clinic and PUSH-as-Rx ®™ system is
leading the field with laser focus supporting our youth sport programs.
The PUSH-as-Rx ®™ System is a sport specific athletic program
designed by a strength-agility coach and physiology doctor with a combined 40
years of experience working with extreme athletes. At its core, the program is
the multidisciplinary study of reactive agility, body mechanics and extreme
motion dynamics. Through continuous and detailed assessments of the athletes in
motion and while under direct supervised stress loads, a clear quantitative
picture of body dynamics emerges. Exposure to the biomechanical vulnerabilities
are presented to our team. Immediately, we adjust our methods for
our athletes in order to optimize performance. This highly adaptive
system with continual dynamic adjustments has helped many of our athletes
come back faster, stronger, and ready post injury while safely minimizing
recovery times. Results demonstrate clear improved agility, speed, decreased
reaction time with greatly improved postural-torque
mechanics. PUSH-as-Rx ®™ offers specialized extreme performance
enhancements to our athletes no matter the age.
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
