Navigation:
- Whiplash Overview
- Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash: Diagnosis
- Treatment for Whiplash after Diagnosis
- Chiropractic Techniques Used for Whiplash Treatment
Whiplash is one of the few things that can cause intense neck pain. It can make it very uncomfortable for you to move your head. It restricts your movement, making it both difficult and painful to do so. Whiplash often occurs after a car accident, and if you are struggling with it, you may want to consider going to the chiropractor.
Believe it or not, chiropractic care is actually one of the best ways to manage the pain caused by whiplash, and in this article, we will be talking about how chiropractors do that.
Whiplash Overview
If you’ve ever been in a car accident, or if you’ve watched enough movies, you’ll know how whiplash happens. The vehicle suddenly stops and your neck is jerked forward and backward rapidly. The abrupt forward and backward movement injures the neck muscles. This physical trauma caused by sudden uncontrolled movement is called whiplash.
Whiplash causes more than just pain—it also restricts your movement, particularly in your neck. But chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to manage the pain, especially if you’re looking for a non-surgical treatment option.
Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash: Diagnosis
If you visit a chiropractor to have your neck treated, they will still evaluate your spine as a whole. He or she will examine the different regions of your spine to make sure nothing else was damaged during the accident. This will help them see the entire picture.
Your chiropractor will identify joints that have restricted motion. They will look for signs of intervertebral disc injury, muscle spasm, or ligament injury.
This diagnostic stage involves touch and motion. They will feel for tightness and tenderness by observing how well your spinal joints move. They will take note of your posture and spinal alignment.
This way, your chiropractor can understand your body’s mechanics and how the spine works. Sometimes the chiropractor may order an MRI scan or an x-ray of your spine to see if there are degenerative changes.
Treatment for Whiplash after Diagnosis
The chiropractor will work to decrease the inflammation in the affected parts because this is what primarily causes pain and discomfort. After the diagnostic stage, the chiropractor will use gentle stretching or manual therapy techniques. You will be advised to apply an ice pack on your neck, as well as other natural remedies.
When the neck becomes less inflamed, the chiropractor can begin performing gentle spinal manipulation and other chiropractic techniques to restore normal motion to your neck’s facet joints. You’ll notice that the pain has decreased significantly, and you’ll be able to move it more comfortably.
Chiropractic Techniques Used for Whiplash Treatment
Your treatment needs may differ from the treatment needs of other patients, even if you are both suffering from whiplash. The treatment approach your chiropractor uses will, therefore, depend on the severity of your condition. Everyone is different.
The Flexion-distraction is a hands-on technique that makes use of a gentle, non-thrusting type of spinal manipulation. It helps treat herniated discs with or without arm pain. This is especially useful if your whiplash injury has aggravated a herniated disc. This is a slow pumping action on the disc, which is different from the usual direct force.
Instrument-assisted manipulation is another non-thrusting technique that chiropractors can use to apply force without thrusting into the spine. This is great for older patients who have a degenerative joint syndrome.
Manual joint stretching and resistance techniques can help reduce inflammation. And sometimes, a simple therapeutic massage is enough to ease the muscle tension in your neck.
If whiplash is keeping you from moving comfortably, visiting a chiropractor is a great idea. Not to mention the fact that car accidents can cause other kinds of damage that you may want to get treated. Your chiropractor will make sure your entire musculoskeletal system is in good condition.
Look for a chiropractic clinic near you today and fight the effects of whiplash today.
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