Neck strain and neck sprain are sometimes called whiplash – particularly when those conditions result from the forceful motions of car accidents or sports collisions. Typically, the neck extends and then flexes in these injuries. Whiplash may involve damage to the nerve roots, cervical muscles, ligaments, discs, and intervertebral joints. It is a common delayed-onset injury, meaning that the neck pain may not appear immediately but only several days or even weeks after the accident.
A report by Arizona news radio station KTAR-FM calls whiplash “the classic delayed symptom injury associated with accidents.” The same report notes that whiplash treatment typically is for low-speed injuries, with the majority of the conditions resulting from collisions in which cars were driving under 15 mph.
How to prevent whiplash
Whiplash is an injury that occurs in a matter of a few seconds during a traumatic injury, so avoiding it may seem impossible. However, you actually can avoid some of these incidents by wearing a seatbelt correctly, avoiding an excessively reclined seat, and being sure the headrest is high enough for your head. Athletes can protect themselves through use of the correct technique and by wearing pads. In the unfortunate event that an injury does still occur, whiplash treatment facilitates recovery.
Why whiplash treatment is so important
Keep in mind that whiplash describes an injury but not its severity. Symptoms can be very mild to excruciating and life-disrupting. Since there is such thing as a mild case of whiplash, it is easy to think the pain will go away. However, as noted by Rush University Medical Center, the reason you need to seek whiplash treatment and watch out for the condition is that its symptoms may be delayed.
Whiplash is perhaps especially disturbing because of the broad conditions that can accompany it. Conditions that often come along with whiplash include depression, impaired concentration, sleep disorders, fatigue, irritability, and memory loss, as indicated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Whiplash can even point to dislocations and fractures – and those will show up in X-rays or imaging tests during an exam when you seek an evaluation. Through an evaluation, you know if you will need or could benefit from treatment.
Whiplash treatment for fast recovery
Are you experiencing neck pain following an auto collision? A comprehensive approach to recovery from whiplash includes diagnostic testing and multidisciplinary whiplash treatment that may include physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression, and medical injections.
At Health Star Clinic, we will help identify the source of your pain and provide an accurate diagnosis, creating the best whiplash treatment plan for your pain conditions. Your recovery is our priority. Contact us today to take the first step to recovery.