Does Chiropractic Help Whiplash Injuries?
What is a Whiplash Injury?
Whiplash is a 30 year old term, and is commonly used when someone is in a side or rear end auto accident. If the right treatment isn’t used, 40 percent of patients are at a risk for developing long term chronic conditions months after the initial injury.
What to Do First with Whiplash
After an accident, the first thing on your checklist should be reducing inflammation, which happens when muscles and ligaments are injured. Sometimes, pain won’t show up immediately, and takes time to develop. This is why many people fail to realize they have injuries until waking up the next day with neck and or back pain. If chiropractic care is performed shortly after the injury, the risk for chronic pain is lessened.
Manipulation also helps to restore muscle movement. Another main factor of whiplash is that joints become stiff from swelling and pain in the area. If a patient is experiencing pain, they will restrict their range of motion leading to more long term problems from muscle underuse.
Scar Tissue Forms
Scar tissue is another byproduct of whiplash injuries. Scar tissue patches injured muscles and tendons similar to band aids, but in a disorganized way. Scar tissue also prevents proper range of motion and tightens the area. Manipulation helps to stretch the scar tissue areas out and helps to break it up and not hinder the motions.
Manipulation has been studied and proved to be safe and quick in treating pain. Although it may not seem like it, the whiplash injury can affect other areas of the body, as we know that the body is a whole. Chiropractic adjustments will help the affected area and the rest of the body.
Why You Need to Come in and See Us
After a whiplash injury, it is common to experience stress and chronic pain, which chiropractic manipulation can help with. A doctor of chiropractic can also prescribe exercises, nutrition guidelines, and education to help a patient understand their condition.
At Dr Golab's Chiropractic & Massage, we have been treating whiplash and accident injuries for years. Through both chiropractic and medical massage, we can help accident injury victims return to wellbeing. We have imaging services as well and are able to produce full medical records to provide an accident attorney should a claim for insurance be persued.
Come in and see us today. Let us help you.
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Chiropractic
