What is whiplash?
Whiplash is most commonly associated with rear-end car collisions in which the heads of those in the front car are suddenly snapped back and forth by the impact. It is more accurately called cervical acceleration/deceleration (CAD) trauma or syndrome, which describes the rapid movements that can injure the vertebrae of the neck and the muscles and ligaments that support them.

Injuries to the neck caused by a sudden movement of the head, backward, forward, or sideways, is referred to as "whiplash." Whether from a car accident, sports, or an accident at work, whiplash or other neck injuries warrant a thorough chiropractic check-up. The biggest danger with whiplash injuries is that the symptoms can take years to develop.

The resulting instability of the spine and soft tissues can result in headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, pain in the shoulder, arms and hands, reduced ability to turn and bend, and even low back problems. As the body attempts to adapt, symptoms may not appear for weeks or even months later.

Chiropractic Care Can Help
The sudden accident that caused the whiplash in the first place may fade into memory, but the physical and psychological damage of whiplash can become chronic, eroding a victim's quality of life. Chiropractic techniques and chiropractors' skills are particularly well-suited to relieving the neck pain and other debilitating effects of whiplash because they can:

Repeated and effective chiropractic adjustments have proved successful for many thousands of patients. Chiropractic can, in many cases, significantly reduce patients' distress and allow them to return to their normal activities rather than seeing themselves as invalids--as so many whiplash victims do long after their accident

The chiropractic approach to these types of injuries is to use specific chiropractic adjustments to help return spinal function. If caught early enough, inflammation can be reduced and scar tissue can often be minimized.

Talk to Dr. Pazdel about other ways to improve your lifestyle. Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can effectively treat the tissues injured during a whiplash incident.