When you have a minor car accident, it is possible that you may have been injured, even if you feel fine. A minor dent or bump in the front of your car does not necessarily mean that you have not been hurt. When your car is in an accident, you are going to press the brakes hard, this causes your body to push back into the seat, and then forwards while your head moves backwards at the same time. This causes stress on your neck and it can be injured. This jerking is normally beyond the neck’s normal limits and this is dangerous.
After the impact, your neck’s pain increases in severity, neck movements are restricted, you can get headaches and there is sometimes an associated shoulder and arm numbness. With these problems arising, you will go to the hospital and they will give you a clean bill of health because there are no broken bones. You will be given medication for the pain and sent home.
However, pain medication will not remove bones that are putting pressure on to nerves, or repair torn ligaments and muscles. A neck collar will not restore the normal curve of your neck. This is why you will need to visit a chiropractor in order to get a full cervical examination because they have a full understanding of soft tissues, spinal biomechanics and the appropriate treatment methods for the spine.
A series of chiropractic adjustments will be done in order to restore the spine’s natural alignment. In addition to the treatment, we will give advice on how to live a healthy life and prevent further injuries, thus ensuring that the cause and not just the symptoms are addressed. Many people are so impressed with the results, that they continue their visits for preventative and maintenance reasons.
FAQ about whiplash
- Why is there pain in my hands and arms? This is because the hands and arms nerves exit the spinal cord from the neck and injury to the neck may cause this pain.
- Why did the headaches start more than a week after the accident? This is because the body takes time to adjust to changes when the ability to quickly adapt is exhausted during an accident. The pain can start a few days – weeks later.
- Will the patient ever be normal again? With early and appropriate treatment, the patient can return to their pre-injury state. However, those that do not receive treatment for a long time may require frequent chiropractic treatments for pain relief.
- Should you wear a cervical collar? Most chiropractors do not recommend cervical collars because you neck muscles become used to the support given by the collar, that when it is removed, the muscles may have become weak. The weaker muscles will mean that you will be more likely to get injured again.
Learn more about Pinched Nerves (Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment) here