Have you ever heard about whiplash and wondered what it is? Well, whiplash is a term that is used to describe neck pain caused by an injury to the soft tissues of the neck. The most commonly affected tissues are muscles, tendons and ligaments. However, many people ignore this condition due to lack of proper understanding about it. It is very important to seek for treatment and below is all what you should know concerning whiplash treatment.
For you to understand better whiplash treatment, you first need to know the causes as well as symptoms of this condition. Whiplash causes include the following;
There are different causes of this condition although the most common ones are car accidents, bicycle crashes, and sports injuries. They lead to neck pain and stiffness. The impact may cause your body to fly to one side quickly with your head following the body’s movement. This may make the soft tissues and spine in your neck to be unstable thereby requiring treatment.
Symptoms include the following:
Whiplash treatment: This condition will get treated if only you do the following.
1. Chiropractic manipulation
The primary treatment for this condition involves the chiropractor moving the involved joint gently into the direction in which it is restricted. This method is also known as chiropractic adjustment. It may involve application of a short thrust in the wanted direction. However, the chiropractor uses a slow mobilizing movement rather than a thrust.
2. Muscle stimulation or relaxation
Muscle stimulation or relaxation involves stretching gently the muscles that have repeated contractions or excessive tension of the muscle which is inhibited. If the muscle is very tight, a stretch which is more vigorous is applied by the chiropractor. Other techniques that are applied are gentle finger pressure which may be applied in order to trigger points to relieve the pain caused by the tight muscles.
3. McKenzie exercises as well as stabilization activities
Different types of exercises such as McKenzie, stabilization, and sensorimotor exercises are applied by chiropractors since they help greatly in treating patients with whiplash injuries. These exercises are specifically made to reduce disc derangement associated with whiplash injury. They have simple movements which are first done in the office and later at home. They also help patients to be active in their own recovery.
Sensorimotor and stabilization exercises are designed to correct any faulty movement during the daily activities. This treatment method trains your nervous system to coordinate as well as control movement patterns in a better way. They also improve the ability of the muscles so as to maintain the stability of the neck. Generally, these exercises are specifically designed to assist in major trauma like whiplash during a car accident.
4. Taking painkillers and other drugs
You should take them if your doctor has recommended them for you. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen help in relieving pain and swelling. You should not use them regularly since they may have side effects. You need to check them with your doctor prior taking them especially if you are taking other medicines or if you have any medical problems. You may also use muscle relaxants.
5. Icing your neck
This will also help to reduce swelling and pain immediately after the injury. It is recommended that you do it for about 20 to 30 minutes for every 3 to 4 hours for a period of 3 days. All you need to do is wrap the ice in a piece of cloth or towel and rub it at your neck. Wrapping it also helps to prevent injury to your skin.
6. Apply warm moist heat to your neck
Once the swelling has stopped probably after around 3 days of icing, start applying moist heat at your neck. Do this by use of a heat pad or warm water on a piece of cloth or towel. Other whiplash treatments that you may use are massage and ultrasound.
Above are the causes, symptoms and treatment options available for whiplash. Anytime you suffer from this condition, you can just use the above tips on treatment and surely they will work out fine for you. For professional chiropractic care that specializes in neck pain in Raleigh NC, check out our friends from TheJointNC.
For you to understand better whiplash treatment, you first need to know the causes as well as symptoms of this condition. Whiplash causes include the following;
There are different causes of this condition although the most common ones are car accidents, bicycle crashes, and sports injuries. They lead to neck pain and stiffness. The impact may cause your body to fly to one side quickly with your head following the body’s movement. This may make the soft tissues and spine in your neck to be unstable thereby requiring treatment.
Symptoms include the following:
- Pain, tightness and decreased range of motion in the neck. Muscles may also feel knotted or hard.
- Pain when moving your head from one side to another.
- Headaches at the base of the skull which radiate towards forehead.
- Tenderness
- Dizziness, fatigue and back pain
Whiplash treatment: This condition will get treated if only you do the following.
1. Chiropractic manipulation
The primary treatment for this condition involves the chiropractor moving the involved joint gently into the direction in which it is restricted. This method is also known as chiropractic adjustment. It may involve application of a short thrust in the wanted direction. However, the chiropractor uses a slow mobilizing movement rather than a thrust.
2. Muscle stimulation or relaxation
Muscle stimulation or relaxation involves stretching gently the muscles that have repeated contractions or excessive tension of the muscle which is inhibited. If the muscle is very tight, a stretch which is more vigorous is applied by the chiropractor. Other techniques that are applied are gentle finger pressure which may be applied in order to trigger points to relieve the pain caused by the tight muscles.
3. McKenzie exercises as well as stabilization activities
Different types of exercises such as McKenzie, stabilization, and sensorimotor exercises are applied by chiropractors since they help greatly in treating patients with whiplash injuries. These exercises are specifically made to reduce disc derangement associated with whiplash injury. They have simple movements which are first done in the office and later at home. They also help patients to be active in their own recovery.
Sensorimotor and stabilization exercises are designed to correct any faulty movement during the daily activities. This treatment method trains your nervous system to coordinate as well as control movement patterns in a better way. They also improve the ability of the muscles so as to maintain the stability of the neck. Generally, these exercises are specifically designed to assist in major trauma like whiplash during a car accident.
4. Taking painkillers and other drugs
You should take them if your doctor has recommended them for you. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen help in relieving pain and swelling. You should not use them regularly since they may have side effects. You need to check them with your doctor prior taking them especially if you are taking other medicines or if you have any medical problems. You may also use muscle relaxants.
5. Icing your neck
This will also help to reduce swelling and pain immediately after the injury. It is recommended that you do it for about 20 to 30 minutes for every 3 to 4 hours for a period of 3 days. All you need to do is wrap the ice in a piece of cloth or towel and rub it at your neck. Wrapping it also helps to prevent injury to your skin.
6. Apply warm moist heat to your neck
Once the swelling has stopped probably after around 3 days of icing, start applying moist heat at your neck. Do this by use of a heat pad or warm water on a piece of cloth or towel. Other whiplash treatments that you may use are massage and ultrasound.
Above are the causes, symptoms and treatment options available for whiplash. Anytime you suffer from this condition, you can just use the above tips on treatment and surely they will work out fine for you. For professional chiropractic care that specializes in neck pain in Raleigh NC, check out our friends from TheJointNC.