Whiplash occurs when your head quickly snaps forward and then back. This most often occurs during car accidents, but it could also happen to you in other situations, like while participating in a sports event. A whiplash injury can lead to neck pain, headaches, and other annoying issues. What's more is that you might not even realize you have a whiplash injury until one or two days later. If it's become clear that you likely have whiplash, you will want to seek professional help. While a medical doctor might be able to prescribe pain medication, the type of professional you should really go and see is a chiropractor. Here's what a chiropractor can do for you.
Remove Muscle Stiffness
Your neck and other upper body muscles will tend to stiffen up in the aftermath of a whiplash injury. If the whiplash is severe, you might become so stiff that you can't properly move your neck or turn your head from side to side. Whiplash treatment usually starts by trying to get all of your muscles loose again. Yes, you could possibly try and get a loved one to give you a massage, but he or she likely won't know the exact pressure points needed to unlock your muscles. In fact, trying to treat whiplash without professional help might even end up making the problem even worse.
Stop Headaches
Whiplash can also lead to headaches that can be absolutely excruciating. This is because whiplash can cause the nerves along your spine to become pinched. This sensation then travels all the way up your spine and into your head, causing a throbbing sensation in your skull. Once a chiropractor gets you loosed up again, your body will relax, removing pressure from the nerves and eliminating or slowly reducing your headache in the process.
Prevent Long-Term Damage
If you believe you have suffered whiplash after a car accident, it's important that you seek treatment as soon as possible. Allowing your body to remain locked up could cause long-term damage to your spine or nerves. You'll then be seeking treatment for a long time into the future to try and undo the damage or repair your muscles. Get to the chiropractor's office within 24 hours of the car accident or other incident and you'll be able to limit the number of symptoms you have to deal with going forward.
Contact a local chiropractor to learn more about whiplash treatment.
Chiropractic care is so helpful for dealing with back pain. From bulged discs to sore muscles, chiropractors can do wonders when your back is tight, sore, or otherwise ailing. And that's not all chiropractors can do. They can also help with ailments like headaches, arthritis, and sports injuries.
We're here to help you learn more about chiropractic care and the natural relief it can provide your body. You can also learn tips for healing your back pain at home, and explore the chiropractic industry as a whole. Your body deserves the best care, and the more you learn, the better prepared you'll be to provide that care.