What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a term used to describe an injury
to the neck and/or supporting structures from a motor vehicle trauma,
usually due to a rear-end collision. The injury occurs when the head
and neck are violently thrust backward and forward. Cervical
acceleration deceleration (CAD) is the appropriate terminology used to
describe the mechanism of injury. This can occur with either high speed
or low speed rear impact crashes. The thinking that a low speed rear
impact crash cannot cause injury if there is no property damage to the
vehicle is a myth, which is discussed in the "Myths" section.
Common Whiplash Symptoms
The following are the symptoms most commonly seen after a whiplash injury. (They are listed in order of prevalence):
Neck pain
Headache
Pain between the shoulder blades
Back pain
Numbness or tingling
Pain or weakness in the arms or hands
Difficulty concentrating
Dizziness or light-headedness
Facial pain and jaw-related symptoms
Hearing disturbances
Vertigo (disturbances in movement perception)
Vision disturbances
Trouble swallowing or hoarseness
The
symptoms listed above may be caused due to injury to soft tissue
structures, such as discs, ligaments, and nerves. The disc may tear,
become herniated, or bulge and ligaments may tear with whiplash
injuries. Nerves may become stretched, pinched or bruised. Subluxation
(partial dislocation) of the vertebrae may occur as well. In severe
cases, vertebrae may even fracture.
Treatment for Whiplash
As
long as there are no fractures or spinal instability, chiropractic
treatment for whiplash injury should begin not too long after the
initial date of injury. This is because your body begins to repair and
remodel the injured structures within two to three days, at the end of
the acute inflammatory phase. If there are any vertebrae that have been
misaligned due to the whiplash injury, it is extremely important to
correct the affected structures so that they do not heal with scar
tissue in an improper position. An affected area of the spine that is
not treated properly may lead to problems in the future, such as
decreased range of motion, degenerative arthritis, disc degeneration,
nerve impingement, and pain. With the appropriate treatment and good
patient education, future complications can be avoided.
Treatment
at our office would start with a complete history and evaluation. At that time it would be decided if xrays were needed. Once the problem is identified by the doctor, she will
thoroughly discuss your specific case and recommend a treatment plan.
If
you or a friend have recently been in an accident, it is important to
be evaluated as soon as possible to determine if there is soft tissue
damage or a nerve injury that the hospital may have overlooked.