Whiplash Injuries and Chiropractic

headaches and neck pain

When you think of whiplash, most people immediately think “car accident.” But a fall or many types of repetitive movement may also cause whiplash. Sometimes the symptoms from whiplash take days or even weeks to manifest themselves, but the damage it causes can last for years.

What exactly is whiplash? It’s a condition in which the joints in the back of the neck, joints that usually slide easily over one another, are forced together, causing damage to the nerves, discs, ligaments and muscles all around them.

The symptoms of whiplash? Generally, these include headaches, dizziness, neck and arm pain, decreased attention span, an inability to focus and fatigue. These symptoms can be both very painful and downright debilitating to the whiplash sufferer.

It helps to come into our office immediately for a thorough examination if you have been involved in an accident and suspect that you might be the victim of a whiplash injury. The earlier you establish the proper intervention, via chiropractic adjustments, the better your chances for a full recovery.

Of course, chiropractic adjustments also help older whiplash injuries, but recovery is usually slower and care during the acute phase generally takes longer.

We manage whiplash injuries with careful and precise neck adjustments, sometimes ice and rehabilitative exercises that are designed to address the injured neck and shoulder muscles and joints. This has been shown to be very effective in managing the symptoms of whiplash, particularly the headaches that often accompany this type of injury.

Dr. Bryce Asks some important questions of interest to Fulton residents - Chiropractor Fulton Dr. Bryce Asks...

How long does it take to form a bone spur?
Many who begin chiropractic care think their problem happened "last week when you bent over funny." But pictures of the spine tell a different story. Chiropractors know it can take your body years to deposit the calcium necessary to form a bone spur. It's your body's response to stress due to gravity or joint malfunction. And chiropractic care can help.
Is a muscle spasm a cause or an effect?
With the knee-jerk use of muscle relaxers, you'd think it was a cause. But it's an effect. Chiropractors know that bones don't move unless muscles move them. And muscles don't contract unless commanded by the nervous system. That's why your nervous system is the focus of our Fulton chiropractic practice.