Doctors who offer chiropractic services and treatment plans are able to help their patients recover from various types of accidents.
One of the most common injuries that a patient can receive in an accident is whiplash. It can range from very mild to severe effects and can cause tremendous amount of pain and discomfort. Individuals who have been involved in car accidents may not realize they have been injured until the next day when the inflammation and swelling have reached the point where movement is restricted and the person can no longer move his or her head normally.
What Is Whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury caused by severe jerking or pulling on the head and neck. The injury is caused when the forward motion of the body is abruptly stopped and the head is allowed to continue to move forward at a faster speed. It is much like a slingshot or jerking motion, where the head continues to move at the same speed of the body, even after the body has stopped.
If the jerking motion is severe enough, it can not only pull the muscles of the neck and damage the soft tissue, it can also fracture the neck bones.
How Can Chiropractic Treatment Help?
Chiropractic services and treatment plans help to re-align the head with the neck, and make both return to their original tissues. Most chiropractors employ massage therapists who are able to manipulate the soft tissues of the area in an attempt to reduce the swelling and inflammation that often accompanies an injury.
Massage also encourages blood flow to the area to help the tissues heal. Chiropractic benefits include:
- Restores balance to the body
- Aligns and corrects the position of bones that have been dislodged or forced out of place
- Prevents ligaments and tendons from being stretched out of shape
- Takes the stress off of muscles and other soft tissues allowing them to heal as they should
While the massage therapists help strengthen the muscles, the chiropractic helps the bones return to their original position. Once they are stabilized, the rejuvenated muscles will hold them in place and allow them to heal. It may take two or three sessions for the bones and muscles to remain in place without shifting back into the position they were in during the injury. Massage therapy can benefit almost anyone with a whiplash injury. Some of the benefits of massage include:
- Increases blood flow in the affected area
- Reduces swelling and inflammation
- Manipulates soft tissues into returning to their former position
- Strengthens tissues by providing oxygen and nutrients that are needed to heal any damage that was caused by the accident
Chiropractors also use vibration and heat therapy to help soften tense muscles that can aggravate a whiplash injury. There are many chiropractic services that will provide long lasting, relief from pain and discomfort associated with whiplash. Whiplash pain is normally centralized in the neck but can radiate outward; this can affect the head, shoulders, arms, neck and upper back.
Will the Effects Be Long Lasting?
The first chiropractic session may offer profound relief, but it will depend on how long the bones and muscle tissues have been out of place. For instance, it may take several chiropractic treatments to alleviate the pain depending on how long ago the injury took place. If the injury is only a few days old, one or two visits to the chiropractor may be all you need to alleviate the problems you are experiencing.
Whiplash injuries can cause a person to lose the ability to move their head from side to side. The severe pain may also prevent individuals from being able to sleep and lift his or her head. Hence, receiving a chiropractic treatment can increase range of motion and can improve flexibility allowing the person to move their head from side to side without pain.
Chiropractic services like MRI's, x-rays and other diagnostic tools can help chiropractors uncover the extent of a patient's injuries and then design a treatment program that works best for the individual. Treatment plans are created according to the patient's individual needs and can be adjusted as the healing begins to take place.
