If you have heard of the term whiplash, it is most probably because someone warned you before riding the roller coaster. When put that way, whiplash does not seem to be dangerous nor does it seem to give long-term effects on your body. However, a lot of people have experienced prolonged feelings of pain due to untreated whiplash pain.
What is a Whiplash?
A whiplash also called cervical acceleration-deceleration (CAD), is caused by a sudden brake of a moving vehicle. The sudden brake causes your head to suddenly move back then move forward in a very short interval.
Whiplash is often experienced in car accidents and roller coasters because these vehicles often move fast and in a continuous motion. Take, for example, a car speeding on a highway suddenly brakes. Your head would be resistant to the sudden force and this resistance is shown when your head moves back right away. In a split second, it will then follow the direction of the impact. This is when your head moves forward rapidly. There are cases when people hit the windshield or the steering wheel. These cases are no longer considered as whiplash.
A whiplash is not considered fatal. However, when it is not treated, it can cause severe pain to the person for a few months. There are times when the whiplash is not intense that some people do not experience any pain, but most of the time, some people will feel a neck pain.
Neck Pain and Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic treatment refers to a non-invasive way of treating musculoskeletal problems. It makes use of spinal adjustments to restore mobility and flexibility. Because it focuses on muscles and bones, the adjustments improve how people move especially those who have gone through injuries.
Chiropractic treatment is also famous for relieving pain in the body, whether it is caused by infection or injury. One of the most common advantages of this form of treatment is that it helps to relax the muscles so that any form of swelling and tension will be eased.
Painful whiplash symptoms are relieved with chiropractic adjustments because a whiplash’s damage involves the neck and the spine. It’s a perfect form of treatment because no other professional knows your spine like a chiropractor. What’s also great about this is you don’t have to go through many surgeries and x-rays to check whether your spine and neck are in their best working condition.
How Does Chiropractic Care Relieve a Whiplash?
There are many ways that a whiplash is relieved with a few spinal adjustments.
Spine and neck alignment
Needless to say, the main way for chiropractic care to help you recover from a whiplash is to align your neck and spine back again. When you experience a whiplash, the impact and movement are so fast and hard that it sometimes misaligns your vertebrae. When this happens, it’s important that they are aligned again because they might cause complications to your posture and bodily functions. Your chiropractor will use several tools and equipment during this process.
Muscle relaxation
Muscle relaxation is also a way for chiropractic care to relieve a whiplash. Even if some people do not experience pain, it is almost always that your muscles will be tensed after a whiplash. Getting chiropractic care will help prevent you from experiencing neck pain and it can also give added relaxation to the muscles surrounding your spine.
Exercises
Your chiropractor can give suggestions on exercises that you can do to ease the pain or to relieve you from muscle tension. These exercises will be first taught to you so that you can do them in the comfort of your home. As you continue to exercise and have chiropractic sessions, the chances of recovery are higher and faster. To add to that, you can also use this session to be educated regarding your musculoskeletal system.
Although it is highly logical to go to a chiropractor after you have experienced a whiplash, it is still important that you consult a doctor. Since some symptoms of whiplash involve headaches, fatigue, blurred vision, and temporary memory loss, it is important that you seek a doctor to look into these things. Remember, any damage to the neck can be dangerous because it is connected to your brain and your senses.