Charleston Chiropractic Associates

HOW CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELPS WITH WHIPLASH

Chiropractic care is a leading pain relief alternative for people who have been injured. These injuries are the result of car accidents, sports activities, and muscle strains. Chiropractors align their patients’ musculoskeletal structures, which enables their bodies to heal themselves. There is no need for medication or even surgery.

HOW CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELPS WITH WHIPLASH

So, if you suffer from neck pain due to whiplash, you need to visit a chiropractor as soon as possible. Whiplash occurs when the neck muscles experience rapid forward and backward movement. The motion causes trauma that can lead to acute neck pain and restricted neck movement. Many people experience this from falls, car accidents, and other types of accidents.

Diagnosing Whiplash Injury

Visit a chiropractor when you experience neck pain after undergoing trauma. This professional will take you through a thorough physical evaluation. He or she will check the spine to diagnose whiplash and find out the damage caused.

The chiropractor will identify areas with an intervertebral disc injury on the spine. He or she will identify restricted joint movement, ligament injury, and muscle spasms. Most diagnostic techniques involve touching while feeling for signs of tenderness.

Posture And Spinal Alignment

The chiropractor will examine spinal joints movement and analyze your walking style. He or she will further examine your spinal alignment and posture. The diagnosis process will help to determine how the spine is operating. An MRI or X-ray of the spine can help to check existing degenerating changes. These are changes that may have been present before the injury.

Whiplash Treatment Plan

A chiropractor develops treatment plans depending on physical testing. He or she will also use neurological evaluation and diagnostic images. Soon after the injury occurs, he or she will work to reduce the neck inflammation. To achieve this, different techniques are applicable. These include ultrasound, manual therapy techniques, and gentle stretching to reduce the pain. The therapist can also recommend the use of an icepack or using neck support for a while.

Spinal Manipulation Treatment

When the neck inflammation reduces, a chiropractor will perform gentle spinal manipulation. This restores normal movement to the facet joints. These treatments will depend on the severity of the injury.

Using Manual Therapy

The chiropractor may use manual therapy for the treatment of muscles and ligaments. Manual therapies include manual joint stretching and instrument-assisted therapy for soft tissue. They also include therapeutic massage and trigger point therapy. The therapy helps to ease muscle tension caused by the neck injury.

This professional can use different therapies to help in reducing neck inflammation. Other therapies include interferential electrical stimulation and ultrasound. He or she will look at the entire body and not the problem area only.

Apart from the treatments, he or she may also recommend therapeutic exercises. These can help to reduce symptoms of whiplash and restore normal spinal motion. Chiropractors emphasize prevention as essential for long-term good health.

If you experience trauma that may result in whiplash, it is important to go for treatment. This can make a huge difference when it comes to finding relief after the accident. You can avoid long-term pain by visiting a chiropractor soon after the trauma or accident.

Learn more about how chiropractic care can help with whiplash, contact Charleston Chiropractic Associates in Charleston, SC at (843) 225-4357.