Whiplash Chiropractor Fort Lauderdale

What is whiplash?

The whiplash injury meaning provided by a simple Google search tells us that whiplash is a neck injury that is caused by a sudden movement of the head in any direction.  But there is much more to understand about whiplash, and you may find yourself asking, “How does whiplash feel?”  If you’ve never damaged any muscles in your neck before, then some of the symptoms can be quite scary.  The impact causes the softer tissues in the neck to be damaged as they stretch beyond their usual capabilities, and tears can occur in the muscles and ligaments.  Whiplash injury can be debilitating and long-lasting if not treated appropriately, and whiplash symptoms can show immediately after a collision, or months later.  Symptoms can range from pain in the neck, head, and back to a loss of motion and flexibility to the neck, and stiff, tight muscles that feel tense to the touch.  Your neck might feel knotted and hard, and you may have pain when rocking your head from side to side, or backward and forward.  You may find yourself unable to turn quickly or look over your shoulder.  Symptoms of whiplash from a rear-end collision are one of the most frequently recorded reasons for visiting a chiropractor, however, collisions from other directions may still cause this injury.  Tenderness to the neck area, along with muscle spasms and pains traveling through your arms and shoulders can lead to loss of earnings through time off work and lost opportunity through disability.  Some rarer symptoms of whiplash include feeling pins and needles in your arms and hands, dizziness and/or vertigo, lethargy or general tiredness which is out of character, increases to irritability and decreases in concentration.  Some people have reported memory loss as a symptom of whiplash, and most symptoms will make themselves known within the first 24 hours of the accident, however, this can vary according to the type of collision, and whether your body is given chance to heal afterward.  Car accidents are a huge contributor to whiplash cases across the world, but there are several other possible causes.  These include sudden blows to the head, such as those obtained during high impact sports; slips, trips and falls which involve rapid movements of the head; and also heavy impacts or blows to the head by a solid object, for example, a stone or a fist.

What is the best treatment for whiplash?

There are a lot of home remedies for treating whiplash which help to different degrees.  Whiplash treatments include using ice on the affected area to reduce swelling and inflammation.  Taking painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofen and Naproxen is recommended, and sometimes prescription medication may be taken to alleviate the symptoms of whiplash.  Neck braces and collars can be recommended for use by your doctor, but if you want to apply heat to reduce pain, wait until the swelling has gone down.  This usually takes a few days at least.  One of the most popular means of whiplash treatment is visiting your Fort Lauderdale chiropractor and treating whiplash with chiropractic input has been shown to give amazing results in increased mobility, and a general reduction in symptoms altogether.  Your Fort Lauderdale whiplash chiropractor will begin by evaluating your spine as a whole, even if you go with a specific complaint.  This is because injuries to the neck and spine may present in areas separate to the location of the actual injury, and your Fort Lauderdale chiropractor will want to know exactly what it is they need to treat.  Areas of restricted mobility and movement will be identified, alongside injuries such as damage to intervertebral discs and ligaments, and any muscle spasms.  One of the popular techniques used in investigating possible whiplash injuries is called ‘motion and static palpation’, and you should expect to have your spine and back prodded, poked and squeezed in lots of different ways.  This is to test the mobility of your joints and to evidence any tenderness, tightness or stiffness in your spine.  Your posture, too, will be analyzed, and you might be sent for an x-ray or MRI scan, and all of this information will be added to the physical evaluation that your whiplash chiropractor conducts, resulting in a personalized treatment plan which addressed your specific needs.  Most people would recommend that you find your nearest chiropractor clinic as soon as you are able to, or that you get someone else to make you an appointment if you are too sore.

What’s involved with whiplash treatment?

If you visit a Fort Lauderdale chiropractor in the acute phase of whiplash, i.e. in the time just after the accident, then swelling will be reduced using gentle stretches, some manual therapy techniques which your whiplash chiropractor will be trained in, and possibly other therapies, such as ultrasound and low-level laser therapy.  You might be recommended to use ice or a neck brace during this time, and as the swelling reduces he or she will begin to introduce manipulation movements to your neck and spine, correcting and restoring alignment to your body, and reducing the symptoms of the whiplash injury.  Spinal manipulation techniques include the flexion-distraction technique, which is a physical, non-thrusting manipulation that slowly pumps around any damaged or herniated discs caused by whiplash, avoiding direct contact with the spine itself.  Specific spinal manipulation involves your whiplash chiropractor identifying restricted, immobile or abnormally positioned joints, then applying low impact thrusting movements around the areas, which is believed to soften and stretch the injured and stiff tissue, inspiring the nervous system to start interacting with the area in a more usual manner.  Another method of manipulation is ‘instrument-assisted’, which involves the use of small, hand-held instruments or contraptions, and these are used with force, but not directly into the spine.  Some degenerative joint conditions can be treated using this type of manipulation.  Manual therapies are different from spinal manipulations in that they may be used around different parts of the body and involve different movements.    Therapeutic massages will ease stiffness and tension in your neck and shoulders, and therapies using trigger points may also be used to reduce symptoms.  Instruments may be used in the “Graston technique”, which involves repeated light impacts on areas of injured soft tissues and ligaments.  Stretching techniques will be used by most whiplash chiropractors before, during and after treatment sessions, and resistance will be trained and improved.  Further down the line, if physical manipulations are not having the desired results and painkillers are still required to function on a day to day basis after an extensive amount of time, electro-therapies may be endorsed by your whiplash chiropractor, which work by sending electrical currents that are believed to help with inflamed joints and muscles.  Ultrasound therapies are also used, as a less well-known fact about ultrasound waves is that they increase the rate of circulation in your bloodstream.  Better circulation reduces the frequency and severity of muscle spasms and increases mobility and flexibility when focused on injured areas of the neck and back.  Ultrasound waves travel deep into the tissues of our bodies, and as they do so they emit a slow heat that makes the blood flow faster, and with more purpose.  Part of your chiropractor’s treatment may be expected to be conducted at home, in the form of personal exercises, stretches, and movements.  Following these recommendations but remembering not to push your body too far will serve you well in solving almost any whiplash sustained via a car accident.

Is it OK to massage whiplash?

Massage for whiplash will help if done correctly, and alongside other educated and well-informed movements, manipulations, and exercises.  It is always best to get a good, focused and personalized massage from a qualified masseuse at the very least, but your best option would be to seek out a Fort Lauderdale chiropractor who specializes in treating whiplash.  Alongside chiropractic massage therapies, he or she will use a variety of other methods of investigation to determine what is the root cause of your problems.  As listed above, there are a variety of different treatments on offer in a chiropractic clinic for those suffering whiplash and in need of relief from its symptoms.  If you experience severe pain during a massage you should stop immediately, and if with your whiplash chiropractor do your best to explain to them accurately what and where the pain is.  Swollen areas should be dealt with very gently and with very little pressure, and any hardened lumps or protrusions should be investigated with further scans.

How long will it take to recover from whiplash?

As you sit there, unable to turn your head to see what it is the dog is barking at outside, you might find yourself wondering “how long does whiplash last?”  The simple answer is that it will last as long as you leave it to go untreated.  How to cure whiplash fast?  Visit a Fort Lauderdale whiplash chiropractor.  Pick up the phone and book your first appointment with a Fort Lauderdale chiropractor nearby.  The spine and neck are the most important structures to the human body, and damage to them should be taken seriously and dealt with as quickly as possible.  Pain can increase exponentially, and you may find yourself bedridden if left untreated.  Symptoms can persist for days, or they may last for months.  If treated appropriately, the average time for full recovery from whiplash tends to be around three months, but when ignored its symptoms can cause lifelong problems.  Once the more serious symptoms and swelling have reduced, you will need to start moving your head and neck to keep it as mobile as possible and to encourage the healing process in its tissues and joints.  Your usual activity shouldn’t be resumed until the full movement of the injured area has been restored.  Otherwise, you risk worsening your condition and causing damage that is much harder to heal.  Permanent and lasting damage can be caused by pushing yourself too hard when recovering from a neck or spinal injury, so don’t take any risks, and if something feels uncomfortable, reduce your activity until you feel more fit and able.

Does whiplash go away by itself?

Some people will say that they recovered from whiplash without receiving any sort of treatment at all, and it is true that low impact collisions and less severe instances of whiplash can appear to disappear with little involvement from other parties.  However, many would counter that it is surely too dangerous a risk to take, to leave a possible neck injury unattended, rather than have it be seen to and treated while it is still fresh, and while your body can heal around it quickly and easily.  Ignored whiplash can result in reduced sleep and even insomnia in some patients.  If you’re suffering from whiplash related injuries and struggling to sleep at night, you might benefit from providing ample support to your neck in bed, using specially adapted pillows or a night neck brace.  Certain angles when sleeping can worsen whiplash symptoms, and even cause problems with the spine in their own right, so be sure to get into the habit of sleeping in good posture, if you can.  A lack of sleep will lead to you being more irritable, more aggressive, and more likely to get upset at the pain you are in, so make modifications to the way you sleep and to the way your bed is set up, while you recover from your injury.  Use pillows to support areas of your body that receive extra strain when you are sleeping, for example, if you sleep on your stomach, place a pillow around your lower abdomen to relieve the pressure on your spine and back muscles.  Recent studies have shown that pillows between the knees improve posture and reduce neck and back pain, and if you lie on your back, a pillow under your knees will relieve and dissipate weight around your body.  A good mattress is paramount to spinal injury recovery, and though it may be an expense that you don’t want to face, you will reap the rewards in increased mobility, a better and more regular sleep pattern, and a general reduction in the symptoms of whiplash that you’ve been experiencing.  Remaining active is important – once you are able, you should be using your muscles and joints as much as you are recommended to do so by your chiropractor or your doctor.  Slowly increase your activity, being sure not to put too much strain on your recovering muscles and joints.  Actively work to improve your posture when away from your treatment and therapy rooms, and allow your recovery program to become a part of your life which you embrace and accept.  Don’t spend extended amounts of time in the same position without at least having breaks and moving/stretching to re-introduce blood-flow to the area.

What happens if whiplash goes untreated?

If you leave whiplash to go untreated you are putting your body at risk of further, more serious problems which may end up affecting you for the rest of your life.  Avoiding the correct care and treatment will only prolong your symptoms, extend them, and make them worse and harder to deal with.  Almost anyone you speak to who did not approach a chiropractor or other practitioner immediately after their car accident (or another injury) will tell you that they regret their actions and those who do not will tend to be those who did not suffer from serious whiplash.  It is not recommended that anyone leaves a spinal injury unattended, and problems with the spine and nervous system can affect the whole body, and if left untreated can be difficult to locate at their root source due to the complex nature of the spinal cord, and the information which it sends and receives.

What if I think a chiropractor gave me whiplash?

There have been some cases of people’s neck pain becoming worse after chiropractic treatment, however, this is usually due to other, underlying illnesses and disease which were previously left unchecked and unnoticed.  It is very, very rare for a chiropractor to cause an injury such as whiplash when conducting physical manipulations and manual therapies on a patient, if only because chiropractors are not supposed to release anything like the force needed to give someone whiplash.  A well trained and professional chiropractor will use short, sharp forced and repeated motions, but none of these will have a significant enough impact to cause a sudden and sharp jerk of the head needed to result in whiplash.  If you do think that your chiropractor has given you whiplash, or injured you in some other way due to malpractice or lack of care, then you should report them immediately to the appropriate authority. 

How do I find a Fort Lauderdale whiplash chiropractor near me?

In today’s world of smartphones and laptops that you can wrap around your wrist, it’s not surprising that a google search for local whiplash chiropractors can end up being quite overwhelming.  When looking for your nearest Fort Lauderdale chiropractor clinic, you should take note of the transportation to and from your house, whether or not you will be able to park, or how long it will take you to walk if you feel you are up to it.  Remember to be honest about your symptoms, the length of time you have felt them, and how they came to be a problem – if you conceal truths or give misinformation to your whiplash chiropractor then you are only reducing the effectiveness of the treatment which you are paying for.  You certainly don’t need to look far to find the best Fort Lauderdale whiplash chiropractor.