Trauma to your head, neck, and spine because of whiplash might not be instantly noticeable. If you are involved in an event or accident where you might have experienced whiplash, we recommend you keep a close eye on the potential symptoms for the next few days and weeks. Our Chiropractor in West Vancouver sees whiplash injuries usually as a result of motor vehicle accidents.
Whiplash is a common injury most often caused by car accidents, although it can also be brought on by injuries, sports, and even roller coasters. In short, whiplash is caused by a rapid movement of your head backward and then forward with force.
While whiplash might initially have seemingly mild effects on your head, neck, and spine, the injury can be severe and long-lasting. Initial treatment involves over-the-counter medicine, and chiropractic care offers a long-term solution with exercises, at-home remedies, alignment, manipulation, and muscle relaxation treatment.
So what causes whiplash?
The tendons and ligaments in your neck are sensitive to rapid movement. Impactful forces, such as those experienced in car accidents, sporting injuries, or severe falls, overstretch and tear the tendons and ligaments in your neck and cause the symptoms of whiplash. The forces of the sudden acceleration and deceleration cause the head and neck to move beyond its normal range of motion. The soft-tissue structures such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves tend to absorb the bulk of the injury, and the result could be either a simple sprain and strain to a severe injury such as tears and avulsion fractures.
What does whiplash feel like? What are the symptoms?
During an event, such as a car accident, the initial feeling of whiplash may go unnoticed. In fact, the main symptoms of whiplash would probably be felt in the first 24 hours after the event. Some cases of whiplash can take a week for symptoms to materialize, although the symptoms themselves can last for months.
Common Symptoms
- Neck pain and stiffness, the most common symptoms of whiplash, are usually felt in the following 24 hours
- Headaches, you might notice a dull pain/headache at the bottom of your head
- Dizziness, blurred vision, and resulting nausea
- Fatigue, weariness
Extreme Symptoms you might notice with chronic whiplash
There are varying degrees of whiplash severity. Chronic whiplash is when the symptoms are experienced over a long period or are particularly painful and consistent.
- You may notice onset tinnitus – a ringing in your ears, since your accident
- Trouble sleeping, insomnia, waking from your sleep
- A noticeable change in concentration levels and even an effect on your memory
There might be cases where the pain spreads to other parts of your body, or you notice numbness or weakness in your arms. If you notice these symptoms, as well as chronic pain, you should visit your Chiropractor in West Vancouver immediately. Dr. Andrew Chin will recommend further treatment based on your condition.
Diagnosing Whiplash
Mild whiplash is treated at home with over-the-counter medicine and visits to your Chiropractor in West Vancouver. Here at Ambleside Chiropractic in West Vancouver, we help patients reduce the symptoms of whiplash over a few weeks and getting your spine and health back to ordinary fitness levels.
In extreme cases of whiplash, you might experience severe neck pain, pain that spreads throughout the body, or spreading weakness. Our West Vancouver Chiropractor will need to look closer at the effects of whiplash on your body. X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans can be used to effectively diagnose problems with the spine and neck, whether it’s bones or muscles.
Methods to Prevent and Treat Whiplash, Advice from your Chiropractor in West Vancouver
There have been multiple studies conducted on the effects and conditions of whiplash. One study, from 2006, states that the speed of the vehicle doesn’t necessarily affect the severity of whiplash. Others also claim that sitting correctly, with ample space for your head to rest against the headrest, can alleviate some of the potential damage in the event of a car accident.
Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash
While over-the-counter drugs are an adjunct for whiplash treatment, chiropractic treatment (re-alignment, soft tissue therapies, and exercise regimes) is an excellent way to help speed your whiplash recovery. Our Chiropractic treatment for whiplash is gentle, as we understand the soreness and ache associated with the condition.
Treatment can begin early after the accident or whiplash event. A proper diagnosis of the injury is initiated on the first visit. Getting mobility and decreased pain in your neck and shoulders are the primary goals. Reducing your headaches, nausea, and, if any, fatigue in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments are next. Our Chiropractor in West Vancouver will also be able to help mobilize, and treat the soft tissue injury over the next few weeks to help you start feeling better.
Our clinic at Ambleside Chiropractic accepts ICBC claims and will work with your ICBC adjuster to make sure you receive the proper amount of chiropractic care you need to recover. There are no costs to you for care once your claim has been approved and accepted with ICBC. Our clinic will help you with all the paperwork in the claims process.
