Chiropractic Care For Whiplash
Whiplash is the forceful movement of your neck after a collision. The sudden and forceful movement of your neck can cause trauma in your cervical spine. The affected structures include your ligaments, muscles, and nerves. The impact may also dislocate the vertebrae of your spine. If you have a whiplash injury, you should consult a chiropractor to address the neck pain and restore your well-being.
How Do Chiropractors Diagnose Whiplash Injury?
The first thing your practitioner will do is evaluate your spine. This is because whiplash often affects the spine. Your chiropractor will determine whether you have restricted joint movement, muscle spasms, and intervertebral disc injury.
Your chiropractor will touch different parts of your spine and neck during the diagnosis. This approach is called motion and static palpation. It will enable them to identify tightness, tenderness, and how your spinal joints are moving. The practitioner will also assess your spinal alignment, posture, and movement.
Depending on the chiropractor's assessment, they may require you to have an MRI or X-ray to check for conditions that existed before the injury.
Treatments for Whiplash Injury
There are different treatments your chiropractor may use to address your neck pain. The type of treatment will vary depending on the severity of your whiplash injuries. Common chiropractic treatments for whiplash include spinal manipulation, muscle stimulation, and specific trigger point therapy.
- Spinal manipulation involves assessing the misaligned neck joints and returning them to their original position. This is achieved by gently moving the misaligned joint in the direction in which it is constrained. Your chiropractor may apply a gentle and swift thrust in the right direction. If your whiplash injury affected a bulging disc, your practitioner might use a non-thrusting manipulation method called flexion-distraction. This approach is far much more gentle than the swift thrust method.
- Muscle stimulation is used to address muscle dysfunction. Your chiropractor will perform gentle stretches to the tense and restricted muscles. If your muscles are too tense, the chiropractor will use a more vigorous stretch.
- Specific Trigger Point Therapy: Chiropractors use this technique to identify joints that have abnormal motion. This abnormal motion is called subluxations. Your chiropractor will use a gentle thrusting method to stretch your body tissues and trigger your nervous system to restore normal spinal movement.
In Conclusion
Many people prefer chiropractic care for their neck injury because it quickly reduces pain and inflammation, restores range of motion, and promotes quick recovery. Whiplash victims also turn to chiropractic methods because they don't involve any drugs or serious side effects.
For more information, contact a chiropractor and ask about whiplash treatment.
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