Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash
When your neck hurts, daily life gets difficult. Whiplash is a common type of neck injury that responds well to chiropractic intervention. Proper treatment can help reduce pain and restore movement in your aching neck.
What Whiplash Is and How it Happens
Whiplash is the common name for neck strain. A neck strain involves damage caused by stretching and tearing of the muscles and tendons of the neck. A neck sprain is a similar injury that involves damage to the ligaments, tissues that hold bones together. Both conditions are typically experienced the same way and have the same treatments.
Sudden force is the cause of whiplash. This happens most often in car accidents, but it can happen in many other circumstances as well. Athletes can get whiplash playing sports, for example. Any sudden impact or blow can cause the tissues of the neck to be stretched too far, causing the characteristic pain and stiffness of whiplash.
The common symptoms of whiplash are:
- Decreased range of motion
- Pain and stiffness
- Hard or knotted muscles
- Increased pain when shaking your head or rocking it back and forth
- Trouble looking over your shoulder
- Headaches that start at the base of the skull
- Tenderness to the touch
The Importance of Immediate Treatment
Like any injury, whiplash causes inflammation and swelling. Immediate treatment with ice will help keep the swelling down. This will give you time to call up your chiropractor in Campbell and make an appointment for the next several types of treatment.
Treatments that can be helpful for recovering from whiplash include:
- Massage therapy
- Laser treatment
- Spinal adjustments
- Exercises
- Ergonomic Support
At Next Chiropractic and Sports Clinic, your chiropractor in Cupertino, we can support your recovery from whiplash by making a detailed plan of treatment informed by our expert training. To loosen muscles and align joints, we might use massage or adjustments. To increase the speed of healing, our K-laser might be helpful. We can give you exercises to use at all stages of whiplash treatment in Cupertino.
Proper ergonomic support is important because it allows the neck to heal by relieving strain. Putting stress on your injured neck can slow or even prevent healing. Your Campbell chiropractor can give you expert advice about how to do your daily activities in a way that causes the least stress to your healing neck.
To make your recovery as quick and painless as possible, it is important to take immediate action. Ice your neck for 15-20 minutes every few hours for the first two or three days or according to the advice of your doctor. During this time, you can make an appointment with your chiropractor in Campbell so that you can start the healing process.
How Your Cupertino Chiropractor Can Help
Next Chiropractic and Sports Clinic is your expert option for whiplash treatment in Cupertino. As your Cupertino chiropractor, they can walk you through the types of available treatment for both short-term and long-term recovery. We want to be your Campbell chiropractor, too, and we welcome patients from the surrounding areas. Call us today at 408-260-0222 to set up an appointment.