The sudden jerking motion that your neck makes during a car collision or other event results in a whiplash injury, which can give you prolonged pain and neck stiffness. Optimal Health, a chiropractic practice in the Buckman neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, provides top-tier care for whiplash. To find out more about chiropractic treatments for whiplash with Terry Ycasas, DC, and the team, call Optimal Health or book a consultation online today.
Whiplash refers to injuries that happen when your neck rapidly jerks forward and backward. That forceful movement usually happens in auto accidents, but it can happen under other circumstances, too.
Technically, the injuries that happen with whiplash are neck strains and sprains. However, these injuries can happen in a number of other ways, and whiplash strictly refers to the injuries that happen with that specific type of rapid, forceful neck movement.
In most cases, whiplash gets better on its own. However, the pain can be significant as you recover. The team at Optimal Health can treat acute whiplash pain or provide care if it becomes chronic.
Most symptoms of whiplash don’t show up until a day or a few days after the incident that caused the injury. While the primary symptom is neck pain, there are a few other indicators that what you have is a whiplash injury. You might experience:
Due to the effects that whiplash and associated injuries can have on your brain, other rarer symptoms of whiplash can include irritability, memory problems, trouble concentrating, and sleep problems.
The chiropractic team at Optimal Health provides detailed care for whiplash injuries. They begin your treatment with a chiropractic exam, which helps them find the precise locations of the strains in your neck.
There is no singular “correct” chiropractic care plan for whiplash as each treatment is unique to the individual injury. A few common techniques include:
Chiropractic care reduces your reliance on pain medications and other pharmaceuticals that bring down inflammation or discomfort.
Reducing stress in your everyday life can also help relieve pain and other symptoms of a whiplash injury. The Optimal Health team helps you balance your professional treatments with effective self-care and gentle exercises at home.
If you experience a whiplash injury and would like to learn more about your chiropractic treatment options, call Optimal Health or book an appointment online today.