Whiplash in the neck can occur due to a quick jerk in the head or body, such as can very often happen when severely braking in a car, but can also come from contact sports like football where you often land the hard grass. Symptoms of whiplash may be many, including headache, neck stiffness and pain in the arm, but can also cause symptoms right down to the lower back. When you get whiplash it is important to get quick treatment so that it does not develop into something more chronic, which can be difficult to get rid of again. Often times your regular doctor isn’t going to be able to provide you with the best possible treatment and therefor you might need to seek out someone specifically educated for this purpose.
Common causes and diagnosing whiplash
The single most common cause of whiplash is being rear-ended by another car as this will almost always cause your neck to do a sharp and unexpected snapping back and forth, like a whip. Car accidents aren’t the only cause of whiplash however as both physical abuse and sports injuries are also very common ways to get whiplash. When it comes to diagnosing whiplash however it isn’t always easy. Many times the symptoms don’t develop until a day or so after the initial trauma and they aren’t always constant. The range of symptoms is also substantial and not all of those suffering from whiplash get the same combination of symptoms.
Based off of experience, Chiropractor Mount Pleasant SC has noticed that neck pains and stiffness combined with headaches that often start at the base of the skull, is an extremely common array of symptoms from those suffering from whiplash. Sometimes when it isn’t diagnosed correctly or simply isn’t treated early enough, the list of symptoms can increase quite dramatically and will have a definite effect on the daily life. Sometimes it can cause sleep disturbances, problems with the memory or cause the vision to become blurry. As such, it is of great importance that if you have been in an accident you go see your doctor, even if you feel fine in the immediate aftermath of the accident.
Treatment of Whiplash
A whiplash treatment can be performed by physiotherapists, chiropractors or masseurs. Virtually all therapists use their own method to treat a whiplash. It is important that you do your own research on the internet before rushing headlong into expensive treatments. Often times even writing in a forum and asking for advice about which treatment or therapies have helped others can be a great source of information.
For example, if you have found a physiotherapist nearby or in a neighboring town, you may advantageously ask in various forums, whether someone has any experience with that particular physiotherapist and how they dealt with whiplash. There are a myriad of therapists and treatment methods and by doing it this way you can try and keep track of which therapies have worked for others and that will hopefully lead to a therapist that is most suitable to help you with your injury.