Whiplash

Chiropractic Care for Whiplash

Each year about 2 million Americans suffer whiplash injuries. Whiplash usually refers to neck injuries that are often caused by a sudden movement of your head forward, backward, or sideways. Whiplash injury is common in people who are involved in auto accidents but can still occur from work injuries, slips and falls, sports injuries, and other incidents. The condition is characterized by a sharp pain when you try to turn your head on the onset. Primarily, whiplash affects the neck muscles, but it may involve injured tendons or broken bones in severe cases. Unfortunately, most individuals are not aware that chiropractic care is extremely beneficial to anyone suffering from whiplash. T98 chiropractors can help a patient suffering from the short and long-term effects of whiplash.

The sooner you visit a chiropractic clinic, the better with whiplash injuries. Unlike using pain meds, chiropractors address the root cause of the pain. These professionals will assess how much pain you are experiencing and then evaluate the damage extent using diagnostic imaging. By addressing the root cause, the body recovers much faster than masking the pain symptoms with medications. Additionally, T98 chiropractors also provide various non-surgical treatment options that allow you to get back on your

How Does a Chiropractor Diagnose a Whiplash Injury?

Once you visit a chiropractor to address the neck pain following a trauma, the chiropractor will evaluate your spine as a whole. Examining the entire range will enable the professional to find other spine regions affected during the accident. This will also help them identify any intervertebral disc injuries, restricted joint motion, ligament injuries, and muscle spasms. The chiropractors use various evaluation techniques such as motion and static palpation.
The professional will also evaluate how you walk, your posture, and spinal alignment. The evaluation will help the patient understand any problem with their spine alignment and its muscles.

The Process of Diagnosing Whiplash

The diagnosis starts when the patient reports neck pain after a motor vehicle accident. When the patient steps into the chiropractic clinic, the chiropractor usually examines various things to determine the problem’s root cause. As mentioned, the injuries differ from one patient to the other. Therefore, the chiropractor comes up with a customized plan for each of their patients. Nevertheless, the following steps are likely to occur when you step into our T98 chiropractic clinic.

Collect the Patient History

The chiropractor will perform a complete patient history collection. They start by gathering a full medical background, including pre-existing conditions, previous injuries, medications, and family history. Some of the likely common questions to expect from the chiropractor include:

  • How was your neck injured?
  • Were you involved in a car accident?
  • When did the pain/symptoms start?
  • Did the pain begin immediately after the accident, or did it manifest after hours or days?
  • Where are you experiencing the pain, and how can you rate the pain, mild or severe?
  • Is the pain constant, or does it come or goes?
  • Does the pain radiate down to your shoulders and hands?

Depending on how you answer these questions, the chiropractor may ask other questions to get the relevant information regarding your specific situation and symptoms.

Physical Exam for Whiplash

After taking the complete history, the chiropractor will proceed to do a physical examination. The process starts with observation. Here the chiropractor will observe your posture and neck and check for any misalignment and other abnormalities. He /she will feel the various sections of your neck to find any tightness or tenderness. The chiropractor will also check your neck range of motion in rotation and movements up, down, and side-to-side.

If the chiropractor finds any symptoms that suggest the possibility of nerve irritation that results in tingling, pain, and weakness that radiate into your shoulder, the chiropractor might do other in-office tests. These include:

Muscle Power

This test is done to see whether your arms, shoulders, and hands have any significant weakness.

Reflexes

With the help of a rubber hammer tool, the chiropractor will test whether the neck nerves are sending the right signals to your forearm, triceps, and biceps.

Sensation

The chiropractor will also perform a test to see where the abnormal sensations are experienced. For instance, if you feel a tingling in your pinky instead of the thumb, this information will help the professional to narrow down where the pain is arising.

Diagnostic Imaging

After the detailed physical exam, the chiropractor will have gathered enough information on where to start on the treatment. The professional may also perform another diagnostic test to find the exact root cause. He/she may order diagnostic imaging when he/she suspects a neurological problem or fracture. Some of the diagnostic imaging options include;

X-ray

Also referred to as radiograph, X-ray imaging shows the bones structure. This can help in identifying the fracture’s location.

CT scan

A computed tomography (CT) uses x rays to bring a more precise image with a computer. CT scan will give a better picture of the neck structure and help the chiropractor see any fracture or soft tissue damage.

Bone scan

A bone scan is often avoided due to high radiation and cost. However, the chiropractor can still order for one, especially when they suspect a tiny fracture.

MRI scan

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a more detailed scan showing both the soft tissues and bones. The bones might not be as clear as the X-ray scan, but the MRI shows the potential damage to your soft tissues like the ligaments, muscles, and intervertebral discs.

Stages of Whiplash Treatment

Just like any other injuries, whiplash injuries occur in several phases. The first is the acute phase, which occurs immediately after the accident. During this phase, T98 chiropractors work to reduce inflation using various therapies such as ultrasound. They also make use of manual therapy techniques and gentle stretching treatment. The chiropractor may also recommend using light neck support or applying an ice pack on the neck.
After the inflation has subsided significantly, the chiropractor will perform various chiropractic techniques such as spinal manipulation to try restoring your neck’s normal motion.

Chiropractic Treatments for Whiplash
Chiropractic treatment for whiplash often depends on your whiplash injury severity. As such, it is not possible to generalize the chiropractic whiplash treatment. The suitable chiropractic treatment is different in each case and is determined by the primary dysfunctions found during the evaluation. Some individuals have minor whiplash symptoms, which may go away after a few days. On the other hand, the symptoms may become varied and chronic over a short time, causing severe pain to cognitive problems.

Whiplash Symptoms
The whiplash symptoms may manifest immediately after a car accident or take hours or even days before they appear. Some underlying conditions, such as degenerative muscles pre-existing before the accident, may also worsen the condition. Because of the varied complexity, T98 Rehab’s chiropractors develop a customized approach to deal with each case. Before looking at the various whiplash treatments, lets us begin with the common whiplash symptoms.

T98 Rehab Chiropractic and Wellness Summary

Chiropractic care following a whiplash is critical. T98 Rehab chiropractors use a variety of techniques to help restore the neck’s range of motion. They also help you do strengthening and postural exercises that help restore the strength of injured soft tissues. Chiropractic care will also help to restore the routine postural alignments to your body. Chiropractic whiplash care is safe, effective, and non-surgical. This makes it a cost-effective approach to get back to your feet and enjoy your life.