Whiplash Injury Treatment

Whiplash is considered the most common injury following an auto accident. If you’re suffering from whiplash pain, it can seem like there’s no relief in sight. At Freedom Chiropractic, we understand that whiplash can greatly reduce your quality of life. That’s why we prioritize cutting-edge whiplash treatments that can help to correct the soft-tissue injury that is causing your pain. Keep reading to discover why people seeking whiplash care in Conroe, Texas trust Freedom Chiropractic.

Every car-related case of whiplash is different because no two collisions are exactly the same. Factors like speed, the angle of the collision, and the types of vehicles involved can influence whiplash injuries. However, there is a general sequence that leads to whiplash. Here’s a quick analysis:

1. When you’re hit from behind, the seat you’re sitting in pushes against your back. This applies great force to your spine.
2. That force will compress your cervical spine (neck area) against your head.
3. Your torso is also forced to accelerate forward while your head does not. This results in the natural C-shaped curve of the cervical spine taking on an S-shaped posture.
4. This pressure creates damage in joints, discs, and other neck structures.
5. Finally, your head slams back against your seat as it continues to move forward. Your head then bounces off the seat to thrust forward. This creates a soft-tissue injury.

Unfortunately, the belt that is there to save your life can actually make a whiplash injury worse. The restraint of the belt increases the rapid flexing of the head as it whips forward. All of this happens in what is truly the blink of an eye!

Whiplash can create a wide variety of symptoms. In fact, the symptoms of whiplash are so diverse that people often don’t get the right diagnosis simply because they are only looking for “neck pain” when considering whiplash. Here’s a look at the complete list of symptoms that can be experienced with whiplash:

• Neck pain.
• Neck stiffness.
• Tender shoulders.
• Tenderness in the arms and upper back.
• Tingling and numbness in the arms.
• Neck pain that increases with neck movement.
• Reduced range of motion in the neck area.
• Headaches that start at the base of the skull.
• Fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Blurry vision.
• Ringing in the ears.
• Disrupted sleep.
• Irritability and mood changes.
• Memory problems
• Depression.

These symptoms can make life unbearable. Many people don’t get help for whiplash in the immediate aftermath of an accident because the symptoms don’t always show up immediately. The reality is that it can take anywhere from seconds to months for whiplash symptoms to show up.

Not necessarily. While whiplash may eventually resolve on its own, this condition can cause extreme long-term pain. One analysis that used a sample of people suffering from whiplash injuries found that 28% of patients with whiplash had not recovered a year after the initial injury.

A condition known as “late whiplash syndrome” has been documented for decades. People with this condition may not develop symptoms until months after an accident. A study looking at the long-term effects of whiplash that was released in 2021 found that whiplash injuries can continue to reduce the quality of life 20 years after an accident. At Freedom Chiropractic, we work hard to get the message out that getting whiplash treated is important. Shrugging off pain after an accident isn’t noble. In reality, failing to address your injury can greatly reduce your quality of life, make it difficult to work, and interfere with time spent with family and friends.

Chiropractors begin by assessing a whiplash injury. It’s entirely possible that you are also suffering from additional tears and misalignments that have gone undetected if you were involved in an accident that generated enough force to create a whiplash injury. Imaging tools may be recommended following a manual evaluation. Whiplash treatments vary based on the nature of each soft-tissue injury.

Here’s a glance at some of the treatments that may be recommended to you during your journey to healing:

• Manual joint stretching and resistance therapies.
• Instrument-assisted manipulation.
• Personalized spinal manipulation to correct a subluxation that is restricting normal motion and blood flow.
• Therapeutic massage.
• Trigger-point therapy that identifies tight, inflamed muscles that can be relieved using targeted direct pressure.
• Electrical stimulation that uses a low frequency electrical current to reduce inflammation.
• Ultrasound therapy that increases blood circulation to the area to decrease stiffness, muscle spasms, and pain.

Rest assured that the goal of a chiropractor is to help you avoid surgery, reliance on medications, and a lifetime of pain. This is why we treat a “neck injury” by treating the whole body. Restoring alignment, alleviating blockages, and getting oxygen flowing to your tissue can help to trigger your body’s own natural healing process.

The first step to treating whiplash pain is getting a proper diagnosis. This can also be extremely important for filing claims for compensation if you’ve been injured in an accident. Reach out to us here at Freedom Chiropractic if you’re looking for a whiplash doctor in Conroe, Texas.