What is whiplash?
Whiplash is most commonly associated with rear-end car collisions in which the heads of those in the front car are suddenly snapped back and forth by the impact. It is more accurately called cervical acceleration/deceleration (CAD) trauma or syndrome, which describes the rapid movements that can injure the vertebrae of the neck and the muscles and ligaments that support them.
Who suffers from whiplash?
Anyone can be subjected to whiplash, even in a low-force car crash at speeds as low as 5mph. But injuries associated with whiplash can also result from other mishaps in which the head is pushed or jerked beyond its normal range of motion. Whiplash most commonly causes serious and lingering neck pain, but there may also be back pain, numbness, tingling and dizziness. Inasmuch as bruising of the brain can sometimes occur in auto accidents and similarly severe causes of whiplash, some victims have experienced blurred vision, ringing in the ears, nausea and numbness.
What can chiropractic do?
The sudden accident that caused the whiplash in the first place may fade into memory, but the physical and psychological damage of whiplash can become chronic, eroding a victim’s quality of life. Chiropractic techniques and chiropractors’ skills are particularly well-suited to relieving the neck pain and other debilitating effects of whiplash because they can
- restore movement lost after the accident
- overcome muscle weakness and enhance muscle tone
- relieve pain and muscle stiffness
- relieve headaches caused by muscle tension
- speed recovery, and
- diminish chronic symptoms that can persist or recur over many years.
Repeated and effective chiropractic adjustments have proven successful for many thousands of patients. Chiropractic can, in most cases, significantly reduce patients’ distress and allow them to return to their normal activities.