Did you know that whiplash is the most common type of car accident injury? The reason whiplash is so common is because of how your body is protected in the event of a car accident. While seat belts and airbags are designed to prevent you from being ejected from the vehicle during a crash, they cannot prevent your head and neck from getting shaken up or jolted around. When this happens, you can easily get a whiplash injury. That’s why whiplash treatment is so important to healing from any type of car accident.
How Whiplash Happens
When the force of the accident causes your head and neck to snap forward and backward violently, it can lead to a whiplash injury. We tend to carry a lot of tension and stress in our necks, shoulders, and upper backs. The impact of another vehicle can force our body into uncomfortable positions and cause our muscles to strain out of their normal range of motion. The muscles in your neck are so flexible and allow you to turn your head in so many directions. However, when these muscles are taken by surprise during a car accident, they can become strained. The sudden jolting that affects your body can also damage your spine from your neck to your buttocks. The bones and joints in your spine, muscles, ligaments, nerves, and spinal discs can all be affected by a whiplash injury.
Symptoms of Whiplash
How do you know if you have whiplash? Whiplash symptoms can be tricky because they may take a while to show up after the car accident because your body is still processing adrenaline and shock. The first symptoms you might notice are headaches and pain in your neck. Many times, people think they are okay after a car accident, only to develop a headache that just won’t seem to go away and a sore, stiff neck. These are classic signs of whiplash and you should get checked out by a whiplash chiropractor as soon as possible. Other symptoms of whiplash include sore, tender neck muscles. You might start to find it difficult to turn your head from side to side without experiencing pain and discomfort. Some people even experience ringing in the ears, dizziness, and even vertigo.
Whiplash and Cervical Problems
In some cases, people who have whiplash also experience a dizzying sensation where you feel like you are spinning. Others may say it seems like the world around them is spinning and it is making them dizzy. These are classic examples of cervical vertigo. The cervical spine is the part of your spine in your neck, and when this area is injured or damaged, it can lead to this type of condition. The spinning and dizziness sensations typically seem worse when you move your neck and head, and can even cause you to have trouble balancing and concentrating. When whiplash occurs, it can force the vertebrae in your spine out of place, and these misalignments can contribute to cervical vertigo.
Whiplash Treatment
A whiplash chiropractor can provide you with whiplash treatment that is natural and non-invasive. Instead of relying on pain medications that only temporarily mask the pain, your doctor will want to get at the root of your whiplash injury so you can experience true healing and relief. Chiropractors can specialize in car accident injuries like whiplash and have the knowledge and expertise to address misalignments in your spine that are contributing to your painful, uncomfortable whiplash symptoms. Your chiropractor may also use therapeutic massage and other gentle techniques to soothe sore, aching muscles and address swelling and inflammation in your neck, shoulders, and upper back.
Cervical Vertigo Treatment
If you experience cervical vertigo as part of your symptoms, your doctor should develop a treatment plan for your whiplash, which is the underlying cause of cervical vertigo. Your doctor will likely incorporate treatment techniques that reduce tightness and stiffness in your neck muscles that are contributing to the vertigo symptoms. Additionally, chiropractic care with whiplash treatment can help restore proper functioning in your spine and neck muscles. Your doctor will also help you regain the range of motion in your neck through gentle stretches and exercises. Stretching, applying hot and cold compresses, and practicing proper posture can all help provide lasting relief from vertigo.
If you are looking for whiplash treatment in metro Atlanta, visit AICA Orthopedics and learn about our team of multi-specialty car accident doctors. You shouldn’t have to live with the pain and discomfort of whiplash after a car accident, so find out more about the customizable treatment options available to you at an AICA Orthopedics near you.
