Whiplash is a sudden and moderate-to-severe strain that affects the bones, discs, muscles, nerves and tendons in the neck. Whiplash injuries result in immediate pain, but symptoms can also be delayed taking hours or days to become obvious, delaying its diagnosis. Here are a few facts that dispel the myths surrounding this common health injury known as whiplash.
1) Whiplash Can Happen in Less than One Second
In an automobile accident, or similar collision, your body goes through a fleeting acceleration and deceleration which occurs in less than one second. During impact your neck is forced into an unnatural S curve. The force of a collision briefly pushes your torso forward and your chin down, twisting the cervical spine into an unnatural S shape.
2) Collisions Occurring at Less than 5 MPH Can Result in Whiplash
Studies show that it doesn't matter if this collision occurs on the football field, hockey rink, on a flight of stairs or while traveling in a car, bus or train. According to an article in European Spine Journal, researchers conducting a low speed, rear-collision study at just 2.5 mph concluded that 29 percent of people developed symptoms of whiplash. The speed of impact is in no way related to the degree of injury your body can sustain in an accident.
3) Signs or Symptoms of Whiplash May Take Days to Present after an Accident
After an accident whiplash symptoms can take days and even months to occur. While neck and shoulder pain is quite common, other side effects may include swelling neck muscles, muscle spasms, headaches, numbness or tingling in your arms, dizziness, blurred vision, nausea and difficulty swallowing.
4) Staying Active Alleviates Whiplash Symptoms
It may sound counter-intuitive, but unless the condition is so serious that it requires complete immobilization, it is important to maintain some sort of daily activity for the best long term results. Chiropractors recommend that patients remain cautious but continue their daily activities. Exercises and stretching movements are often prescribed.
With chiropractic care, relief from whiplash pain can be obtained using spinal manipulation or soft tissue rehabilitation. Minimizing permanent disability by stimulating the soft tissues through a combination of therapies is the best strategy. Some therapies a chiropractor may use include electro-stimulation, trigger point therapy, massage therapy and exercise rehabilitation.
Nearly 1 million people every year suffer from whiplash injuries and 10 percent suffer chronic pain as a result. There is no need to suffer in silence, when chiropractics can help you continue living a healthy and active life.
by Analgesic Healthcare, Inc
7823 N Dale Mabry Hwy Ste 202
Tampa, FL 33614
AnalgesicHealthcare.com
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