Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash

When the neck is abruptly forced into a movement that is not within the normal range of motion, the symptoms of whiplash may occur. Whiplash involves damage to the soft tissues of the neck, and has a number of common symptoms. Chiropractic care can help to reverse the damage of whiplash so that auto accident or other trauma victims can find relief from pain and the long-term, negative effects of spinal misalignment.

Symptoms of whiplash include pain that is experienced in the neck or along the back of the neck. Some patients are unable to move the neck as usual and may have swelling, muscle spasms, and/or headache. Another warning sign of whiplash is shooting pain that travels down the shoulders or arms from the neck.

The leading cause of whiplash is auto accidents, usually when a sufferer’s car has been hit from behind by another vehicle. Whiplash may also be the result of a sports injury or the sudden impact of a falling object. For some patients, repetitive stress injuries can lead to whiplash. Whiplash symptoms may appear very quickly after an accident (indicating that very serious damage has occurred), or develop in the days, weeks, and months after the initial trauma. This is known as the delayed onset of symptoms, and is caused by scar tissue that builds up around the injured area and then begins to irritate surrounding nerve endings. Some patients with delayed onset of symptoms fail to realize that later symptoms are, in fact, the after-effects of an injury.

Whiplash should never be ignored; doing so may result in a number of related health problems and/or chronic pain.

Chiropractic Care and Whiplash

The neck (or cervical spine) is meant to incorporate a c-shaped curve between 40 and 60 degrees. This healthy shape allows for the normal flow of blood and nerves to the rest of the body. Whiplash causes damage to these soft tissues and may alter the normal, healthy shape of the neck.

Chiropractic care for whiplash goes beyond treating the symptoms of the condition. The goal is to correct the cause of such symptoms by returning the cervical spine to correct alignment. Misalignments in the spine can have far-reaching consequences for the health of the entire body. When the misalignments (subluxations) interfere in the functioning of the nervous system, the result can be not only pain but illness and an overall decline in health and quality of life.

Whiplash Treatment at Bentin Chiropractic

For the chiropractic treatment of whiplash, the doctors at Bentin Chiropractic use a hands-on rehabilitation strategy which may incorporate physical therapy and massage therapy in the state of Florida, the law stipulates that all auto insurance policies carry personal injury protection that is required to cover chiropractic care for whiplash patients. If you have experienced a traumatic accident and believe you may be suffering from whiplash or other injury, please contact our facility as soon as possible.