Whiplash is the cause of no less than 30% of injuries that are reported after auto accidents. Although whiplash does not always pose significant risks to the overall health of a patient, it can become a major concern, if not handled properly. People who don't consider the post-accident pain, aches, and soreness to be serious may have to face substantial problems in the long run. While over-the-counter painkillers can help temporarily, they do not address the underlying issues causing inflammation and pain.
Ignoring whiplash symptoms can be a major mistake. Whiplash occurs when the human neck is pushed forward beyond its actual range of movement. Such an injury can make you experience excessive and extreme pain in the neck, back, shoulders, or even arms. If left unaddressed and untreated, whiplash can cause the cervical spine area to deteriorate. Such degenerative changes can bring about further deterioration, cervicogenic headaches, shoulder ache, and limited mobility.
Research has found that patients who suffer from neck problems at any point in time are likely to relate their aches and soreness with a previous neck injury that was not handled and treated correctly.
Can Whiplash Be Treated?
Whiplash can be treated quite successfully via non-invasive treatment methods. Insurance policies usually cover chiropractic treatment that is utilized for whiplash right after the accident. Dr. Geary Michels can help you alleviate your pain in the neck and prevent further complications.
A Special Study
It was revealed in recent research that spinal adjustments, like those we offer at Michels Spinal Rehab, can offer great benefits to patients suffering from whiplash. A female patient in her late-thirties was observed for a year to check if non-invasive treatments would assuage her pain in the shoulder region and neck after a whiplash injury. She was treated for more than six weeks. That period comprised of 11 visits in which she was provided with chiropractic manual therapy and targeted exercises with a physical therapist.
It was found out in the research that her pain had reduced to a great extent by the time the treatment was finished. When asked to score her pain on the scale of 10, the patient reported that it had shifted from 9 to 2. She had also informed that her pain was manageable even six months after the treatment. By the end of the final session, her Copenhagen Neck Foundation Disability Scale had also reduced from 23 to 4 (on the scale of 30).
Michels Spinal Rehab + Associates: Effective Relief Services
Do you need a chiropractor? Look no further. Dr. Geary Michels has the expertise, techniques, and tools to help you cope with your symptoms and reduce your pain.
Reference
Lowry CD, O’Hearn MA, Courtney CA. Resolution of whiplash-associated allodynia following cervicothoracic thrust and non-thrust manipulation. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 2010;October 5.