You are in a car accident and brush it off as nothing.
Then the aches and pains begin.
Most people do not realize that even if your car accident was slight, you could still find yourself in pain for days, or even weeks later.
Whiplash is a common injury associated with automobile accidents, especially rear-end collisions.
If you are experiencing symptoms of whiplash following a car accident, consider the following information to learn more about what you can expect, while also calling our College Park Chiropractors to schedule a free consultation.
What is Whiplash?
Whiplash is a soft tissue injury caused by a sudden jerking movement of the head (similar to the motion of a whip).
This rapid motion causes your neck muscles to expand beyond their normal range of motion, straining the nerves, tendons, muscles, ligaments and alignment of the bones in your neck and back.
Along with auto accidents, it can also be caused by contact sports, bungee jumping, physical altercations, and more.
Symptoms of Whiplash Injury
Whiplash often feels like tension, stiffness, or pain in the back of the neck and shoulders, often accompanied by a headache.
But there are other symptoms as well, which include dizziness, abnormal sensations such as prickling or burning, fatigue, memory loss, concentration impairment, and depression.
Chiropractic Treatment for Whiplash
Even though the injury can take about three months to heal, symptoms of whiplash usually subside after a few days or few weeks.
However, sometimes people can suffer from persistent whiplash symptoms–even up to years later. If your whiplash has lasted for more than a few days, it is time to setup a consultation with a chiropractor.
When constant pain is involved, it means there could be more to your injury than just damaged tissue.
For example, if your spinal curves or individual spinal bones are displaced, it may be preventing your whiplash from healing as quickly as it should.
Correcting these issues, often referred to as subluxations, with gentle chiropractic manipulations will promote proper healing of these delicate tissues.
Schedule A Free Chiropractic Consultation with AICA College Park
If you have recently sustained a whiplash injury, apply an icepack to the back of your neck for 20 minutes.
This will cut down on the inflammation in the area that causes pain.
And be sure to see one of our experienced Chiropractors. Contact us today by dialing (404) 592-0319.