Whiplash is most commonly associated with rear-end car collisions in which the heads of those in the front car are suddenly snapped back and forth by the impact. It is more accurately called cervical acceleration/deceleration (CAD) trauma or syndrome which describes the rapid movements that can injure the vertebrae of the neck and the muscles and ligaments that support them.
Anyone can be subjected to whiplash, even in a low-force car crash at speeds as low as ten kilometres per hour. But injuries associated with whiplash can also result from other mishaps in which the head is pushed or jerked beyond its normal range of motion. Whiplash most commonly causes serious and lingering neck pain, but there may also be back pain, headaches and dizziness. Bruising of the brain can occur in some automobile accidents and similarly severe cases of whiplash. As a result, some victims will experience symptoms such as: blurred vision, ringing in the ears, nausea and numbness. If you have suffered any severe trauma it is important to be checked thoroughly immediately after the incident and then reviewed regularly during your rehabilitation. Emergency care is the most appropriate care immediately following trauma. The Chiropractors role is the rehabilitation and review phase of care and in some cases in the review and management, when limited rehabilitation in the initial phases of care has resulted in ongoing difficulties. In some whiplash cases the long term impacts of the injury gradually build up over several years and patients seeking advice have not necessarily connected a trauma two, five or more years previously to current symptoms.
The accident that caused the whiplash in the first place may fade into memory, but the physical and psychological damage of whiplash can become chronic, eroding a person’s quality of life. Chiropractic techniques and chiropractors’ skills are particularly well-suited to relieving the neck pain and other debilitating effects of whiplash because they assist in:
Chiropractic adjustments and other techniques utilised by chiropractors have proved successful for many patients. Chiropractic in many cases significantly reduces distress and allows patients to return to their normal activities.
