Accidents happen, and there is a strong chance that most of us will experience injury in an accident at some point during our lives. Sometimes such injuries can be debilitating, while others can minor. One that lies in between is whiplash. It can be extremely painful, and may take some time to treat, but it can be treated.
What is whiplash, and how does it occur? And what can be done to treat whiplash successfully? These are all questions we aim to answer in the following article, so let’s begin with an explanation of the injury known as whiplash.
What is Whiplash?
If you are looking for Whiplash treatment Winnipeg – Daye Chiropractic is a good place to start. They are a reputable clinic and can offer you professional treatment in a comfortable and pleasant environment. So, what is whiplash?
Whiplash is an injury to the neck that is caused by sudden and violent movement of the head. When the head is thrown backwards and forwards – more about how it is caused shortly – the muscles and joints in the neck are momentarily put under excess strain. This causes the following symptoms:
- Stiffness in the neck.
- Pain in the neck and shoulders.
- Difficulty moving the head.
- Headaches
- Muscle spasms in the neck, shoulders and arms.
Whiplash will usually fade after a few weeks – a doctor will advise as to what to do during that time to help – so how do whiplash injuries occur?
How Does Whiplash Occur?
This type of neck injury is usually the result of a vehicle crash or a sudden fall. For example, the driver and passenger in a vehicle that hits another object and comes to a sudden halt will be subject to violent kinetic forces. While the body is restrained the head will be thrown forward and then back by the impact. This is one of the more commonplace causes of the injury. Other causes can include sporting injuries and when a person slips or trips and falls to the ground.
What should you do if you have a case of whiplash? In the final section we will look at how whiplash is treated, and what you can do to make sure it fades within the quickest possible time.
How is Whiplash Treated?
Whiplash is rarely a serious long-term issue and should only be a problem for a few weeks. However, to aid recovery from whiplash you may be advised to see a chiropractor in more serious cases. The chiropractor uses a choice of hands-on therapy routines to help manipulate the neck and bring the muscles back to good health. You may need a few sessions and it will be painful at first, but many whiplash sufferers have testified to the success of seeing a chiropractor. What else can you do to help your whiplash injury heal? Here are a few tips that are usually advised:
- Take painkillers – especially those with anti-inflammatory effects – and keep your head movement to a minimum.
- However, you will need to move the head regularly to bring back the muscle flexibility.
- Wearing a neck brace is not always a good idea with whiplash so see what your doctor advises.
- See a doctor immediately if you have weakness in the legs, for example, or other strange symptoms such as problems with walking or sitting upright.
Getting back to normal after a whiplash injury is not the work of a moment and will involve some pain. Talk to your doctor about the merits of seeing a chiropractor if you think that will help your recovery.
