Could your sudden neck problems be due to whiplash?
You were rushing to work and didn’t realize just how quickly you were coming up on that the car in front of you. You slam on your brakes. The car behind you tries to brake but it’s too late. While you might just walk away from this mild fender bender with some unnecessary anxiety, you might also start to notice some symptoms that set in days later. Your Attleboro, MA, chiropractor, Dr. Jason Miller, is here to share the signs and symptoms of whiplash and when to come in for care.
What is whiplash?
Whiplash is a neck injury that often results from a physical trauma that suddenly and violently throws the head and body in opposite directions. When this happens, it can cause the muscles and tendons within the neck to overstretch or tear. While this can often happen to those who have experienced a car accident, it’s also common for athletes who play contact sports to experience whiplash after a traumatic injury or blow to the head.
What are the symptoms of whiplash?
The most common symptoms of whiplash are pain, stiffness and a limited range of motion and flexibility in the neck. You may not be able to turn your head to the side or over your shoulder without experiencing serious pain and discomfort. The neck may feel tender or you may start to develop headaches more regularly.
These symptoms may come about right away or you may not notice symptoms until a few hours or even days later.
How is whiplash treated?
Most people can get the relief they need with simple measures such as resting and limiting certain movements that could exacerbate the damaged tissues and muscles. Of course, if your symptoms are more serious, or if you are looking for other effective and non-invasive ways to speed up healing and improve mobility and function in your neck then you may just want to consider visiting your Attleboro chiropractic doctor.
How will a chiropractor treat my whiplash?
Once we have determined that your symptoms are due to whiplash our goal for treatment is to reduce your pain and swelling, improve mobility and range-of-motion and also make sure that everything is properly aligned within the spine. One of the best ways to improve the function and alignment of your musculoskeletal system is through spinal adjustments or chiropractic manipulation. By applying a specific amount of pressure to certain areas of the body, we can improve blood flow to these joints, muscles and tendons within the neck to speed up the healing process.
Miller Chiropractic Health Center in Attleboro, MA, is here to help eliminate your aches and pains. Whether you think you might have whiplash or you are dealing with lower back pain, we are here to ease your symptoms and improve your quality of life.