If you are suffering from back or neck pain after even the most minor of car accidents — or if you feel no pain at all — it's entirely possible you have sustained whiplash. Without a thorough assessment from a chiropractor, whiplash can lead to a lifetime of debilitating chronic pain.
Knocking or "whipping" the spine out of alignment can strain the neck muscles and cause intense pain and discomfort. Painkillers are a stopgap measure — it's important to get to the cause of the condition.
Chiropractors treat the underlying spinal (or whiplash) injury by relieving pressure on your tendons, nerves, and muscles. This alignment of the spine coupled with corrective exercises helps heal even serious damage to your musculoskeletal system.
Following trauma, your body naturally tries to immobilize the injured area. Protective spasms help immobilize damaged joints and muscles. That's a normal, healthy reaction — but if function isn't restored within 4 to 8 weeks, scar tissue can form and make full recovery extremely difficult.
Chiropractors know that a multi-faceted treatment program is best for you and can help you get better sooner.
Chiropractic adjustments
Chiropractic adjustments return joints to an aligned and proper position and can also reduce pressure on pinched nerves.
Ice and medications
Ice and anti-inflammatory medications like Advil or Motrin can offer short-term relief, but often don't address the source of your pain. Ice and medication can aid in pain relief, but should not be seen as a fix-all.
Stay the course with your chiropractor at Family Tree Chiropractic. Build a tailored treatment plan together as soon as you can after your fender-bender or major crash. It's likely you'll heal faster and with far less discomfort.